Iranian billionaire Babak Zanjani 'arrested' Monday Dec 30,2013

The news of Babak Zanjani's arrest was announced on Monday Dec 30,2013 by prosecutor general Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejei, who did not provide any other details, the official IRNA news agency reported

It added that Babak Zanjani had been taken to Tehran's notorious Evin Prison.

Babak Zanjani oversees a conglomerate that comprises 65 companies which bring him an annual income of six to seven billion dollars, according to his website.

His business empire came under scrutiny after President Hassan Rouhani took office in August, faced with accusations of not returning billions of dollars to the government.

The arrest came a day after President Hassan Rouhani ordered his administration to take measures to fight "financial corruption... particularly those who have taken advantage of economic sanctions".

The US Treasury put Babak Zanjani on its sanctions blacklist in April after finding he masterminded a network to move oil and money for Iran that involved a Swiss-based company and bank in Malaysia.

The European Union had imposed sanctions on him in December last year