US Government Offers R90 Million Reward for Most Wanted German Woman Possibly in SA in Hiding
- The United States Department of State is offering a massive reward for a German international wanted for a string of crimes
- The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has listed the wanted Ruja Plamenova Ignatova as a top 10 fugitive for her crimes
- Police believe she could be hiding in Cape Town, travelling with armed guards, and may have altered her appearance somewhat
Source: Twitter
CAPE TOWN — A mega reward of $5 million (about R90 million) has been offered for information leading to the arrest of a most wanted female fugitive, possibly in South Africa.
The United States Department of State's Transnational Organized Crime Rewards Programme and German authorities are launching a manhunt for a Bulgarian-born German entrepreneur, Ruja Plamenova Ignatova, in Cape Town.
US offers for most wanted woman
The US notes Ignatova as a wanted fugitive on the Federal Bureau of Investigation's (FBI) top 10 list for participation in a large-scale fraud scheme, including securities fraud, conspiracies to commit wire and securities fraud, and money laundering.
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According to the FBI, she is believed to have travelled with armed guards and may have had plastic surgery to alter her appearance.
"She and others allegedly defrauded billions of dollars from investors worldwide starting circa 2014. Ignatova founded OneCoin Ltd., based in Bulgaria, and marketing a purported cryptocurrency," cautioned the FBI.
Source: Twitter
"As part of the scheme, she allegedly made false statements and representations to individuals to solicit investments in OneCoin, instructing them to transfer funds to her company for packages."
OneCoin is thought to have accrued over $4 billion (R72.6 billion) in the fraudulent scheme, while Ignatova served as the group's top leader until 2017.
She reportedly travelled from Bulgaria to Greece on 25 October that year — after a US District Court charged Ignatova on 12 October and issued a federal warrant for her arrest — before possibly travelling elsewhere afterwards.
The FBI's information suggested she might travel to the UAE, Russia, Bulgaria, Germany, Greece and other Eastern European countries.
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Stringent cross-border crime crackdown
In related news, Briefly News reported that SA police undertook intelligence operations to combat cross-border crimes on the Lesotho border.
The effort yielded numerous successes during Operation Kutwa, a South African Regional Police Chiefs Cooperation Organisation (SARPCCO) initiative under the Southern African Development Community (SADC), in September.
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Source: Briefly News
