The woman dubbed ‘The Cryptoqueen’ received a tip-off that the police were looking for her, claims her alleged accomplice.
Ruja Ignatova - who is currently wanted by the FBI for her alleged involvement in the OneCoin cryptocurrency scam which lost investors roughly $4 billion - is believed to have known that authorities were seeking to arrest her months before she disappeared into thin air in 2017, according to documents.
The police papers were handed to the BBC podcast ‘The Missing Cryptoqueen’ by Frank Schneider, an ex sleuth and confidante of the 42-year-old fugitive and claims to have been handed them by Ruja herself via memory stick.
Paul - who is facing extradition states side for his alleged involvement in OneCoin - also alleges she received the tip-off from people in her homeland of Bulgaria.
He told the podcast on Wednesday (19.10.2022): "When the Bulgarians participated at certain Europol meetings, it only took hours for her to get a complete rundown and get the minutes of what was said in those meetings.
"I can only deduce that it came from the circles that she was in and the connections that she had through a variety of influential personalities."
Europol is believed to be investigating the claim.
The papers state their was a ‘Operation Satellite’ Europol meeting - which was attended by reps from the FBI, the US Department of Justice the New York DA and various international communities - in The Hague on March 15.
The documents detail US law enforcement having a “high-placed confidential informant”, OneCoin bank accounts in recipient of investor’s money and unfruitful efforts of the City of London Police to speak to Ruja.
The FBI - who added Ruja to their top ten most wanted list in July - did not comment on the documents but acknowledged their many international bodies looking “into her”.
Special Agent Paul Roberts told reporter James Bartlett: "There were investigations all around the world into her, and into OneCoin generally, many of which she had become aware of due to actions by law enforcement in other countries."
