The search for Ruja Ignatova, infamously dubbed the “Crypto Queen,” remains a high-stakes international pursuit. Wanted by the FBI for her alleged role in the billion-dollar OneCoin cryptocurrency fraud, Ignatova has been a fugitive since 2017. Speculation about her whereabouts has now turned to South Africa, following reports from the German news outlet Spiegel Online that German authorities are chasing leads in Cape Town.
Ruja Plamenova Ignatova, a Bulgarian-born German entrepreneur, masterminded OneCoin, a cryptocurrency project later exposed as a global Ponzi scheme. The scheme defrauded investors of billions of dollars, drawing international attention and sparking relentless investigations.
“In the wake of the OneCoin billion-dollar fraud, defrauded investors, investigators, and journalists have speculated for years over Ignatova’s whereabouts,” reported Spiegel Online. “Some believe she was murdered. The German police are now following leads in South Africa.”
Rewards, Red Alerts, and International Coordination
The United States Department of State’s Transnational Organized Crime unit announced a $5 million reward in June for information leading to Ignatova’s arrest. The FBI and Interpol, both involved in the global manhunt, describe Ignatova as potentially traveling with armed guards or associates and possibly having altered her appearance through plastic surgery.
Despite the mounting speculation, official responses have been guarded. Samidha Redkar, deputy spokesperson for the US Embassy, stated, “Unfortunately, the office doesn’t have a comment on this at the moment.” Interpol echoed this sentiment, noting that they do not publicly comment on ongoing investigations unless authorized by the member countries involved.
“If or when police in any of Interpol’s 196 member countries share information with the General Secretariat in Lyon in relation to investigations and individuals, this information remains under the ownership of that member country,” Interpol’s Press Office stated.
Unconfirmed Leads and Speculative Claims
Last year, speculation linked Ignatova to a quadruple murder in Constantia, Cape Town, involving Krasimir Nikolaev Kamenov, a fellow Bulgarian on Interpol’s wanted list, his wife, and two others. However, South African authorities have neither confirmed her presence nor linked her to the incident.
Colonel Andre Traut of the South African Police stated, “The multiple murder in Constantia you are referring to is still under investigation, and there are no new developments to report to the media at this stage.”
Meanwhile, other reports, such as those from the Luxembourg Times, claim Ignatova may have been murdered in 2018, with her body allegedly dismembered and dumped in the Ionian Sea. Despite such claims, the FBI, Interpol, and the U.S. State Department have not closed the case, citing insufficient evidence of her death.
Brigadier Thandi Mbambo of South Africa’s Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation emphasized that any cross-border cooperation is facilitated through Interpol, reiterating the complexity of the case.
As speculation swirls and authorities worldwide continue their pursuit, the mystery surrounding Ruja Ignatova’s fate underscores the enduring intrigue and fallout of one of the most significant financial frauds in modern history.