CAIRO: Egypt's interior ministry says authorities have arrested a senior leader and financier of the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood, the latest in the country's security crackdown on Islamists.

Friday's statement says businessman Hassan Malik was arrested Thursday in his Cairo home for "exacerbating the instability of the dollar exchange rate."

The Brotherhood was banned after the 2013 military overthrow of Islamist President Mohamed Morsi, who hailed from the group. Malik was one of the few prominent Brotherhood members to remain in Cairo and out of prison.

The arrest comes after Egypt's central bank weakened the pound twice in recent days, falling 20 piasters to 7.93 pounds per dollar at auction.

Egypt's economy is still reeling from years of turmoil following the 2011 toppling of longtime autocrat Hosni Mubarak.