Missing Crypto Queen Ruja Ignatova Allegedly Hiding In Russia

According to PANews, BBC investigative journalist specializing in Kremlin affairs has reported that the missing 'Crypto Queen' Ruja Ignatova might be hiding in Russia to evade criminal charges. Yoran Tsalov, who also works with Bellingcat, revealed to the media that Ignatova has connections with multiple individuals and interest groups within the Kremlin. Tsalov claims these connections were confirmed during an interview with Ignatova's former security advisor, Frank Schneider, as part of the BBC's investigation and podcast series on the 'Missing Crypto Queen.' Schneider, a former Swiss spy, later founded a private investigation firm and was employed by OneCoin. Due to his involvement with the operation, he was placed under house arrest in France and subsequently went on the run in 2023. Additionally, Tsalov asserts that the ongoing BBC investigation has verified that some companies involved in laundering money through OneCoin have ties to former pro-Russian Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich, who is currently living in exile in Russia. OneCoin was launched in 2014, and Ignatova defrauded investors worldwide through a $4 billion Ponzi scheme until the scam collapsed in 2017, after which she disappeared. Her last known appearance was in 2017 when she boarded a flight from Bulgaria to Athens, Greece, and she has since been listed among the FBI's Ten Most Wanted Fugitives.