A Nigerian court dismissed a human rights violation lawsuit filed by the fugitive Binance executive, Nadeem Anjarwalla, against law enforcement agencies. In his ruling, Judge Inyang Ekwo reportedly cited Anjarwalla’s lack of legal representation as one of the reasons for dismissing the lawsuit. Binance Exec’s Lack of Representation Leads to Lawsuit Dismissal A Nigerian Court […]
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New Zealand Police Seize Residential Property and Cash Owned by Fugitive Former Luxembourg Spy and Onecoin Adviser
A residential property in Wellington, New Zealand and more than 2,000 belonging to an adviser of Onecoin mastermind Ruja Ignatova was recently seized by the police. Detective Inspector Christiaan Barnard said his organization has no reason to believe that Onecoin masterminds are hiding in New Zealand.
Property Purchased by Third Party
The police in New Zealand have reportedly seized a residential property and more than 2,000 in cash, both of which allegedly belonged to Frank Schneider, the fugitive adviser to the Onecoin mastermind Ruja Ignatova. According to the police, the seized assets might be proceeds of a global Ponzi scheme.
A report in The Post states that Schneider, a Luxembourg national, may have purchased the residential property through a third party. The money used to buy the property is thought to have been sent to the unnamed individual sometime between 2018 and 2020.
After his arrest by the French police in April 2021, Schneider reportedly spent seven months in prison before being released under house arrest. In August, while awaiting his extradition to the U.S., where he faced the prospect of 40 years in jail, he reportedly claimed in a podcast that he would not get a fair trial in that country.
Schneider cited the cost of litigation as well as the so-called plea bargain system commonly employed by U.S. prosecutors. However, just a year after vowing to fight his extradition, Schneider disappeared even though he was wearing an ankle tag.
Onecoin Masterminds Are Not Hiding in New Zealand
Meanwhile, in his remarks following the New Zealand police’s seizure of the assets, Detective Inspector Christiaan Barnard, said:
The New Zealand Police will continue to work with our international partners to ensure that New Zealand’s financial system is not abused to hide illicit income.
The detective inspector added that his organization has no reason to believe that Onecoin masterminds are hiding in New Zealand. According to the report, the New Zealand police are now seeking to forfeit the seized assets.
What are your thoughts on this story? Let us know what you think in the comments section below.
Fugitive Crypto Exchange Founder Faruk Ozer Extradited to Turkey
Albania has extradited the founder of Turkish cryptocurrency exchange Thodex to his home country where he is charged with defrauding investors. The crypto entrepreneur disappeared after his trading platform unexpectedly went offline in the spring of 2021 and was arrested last year by Albanian law enforcement.
Albania Hands Over Alleged Crypto Fraudster to Turkish Authorities
Faruk Fatih Ozer, founder and CEO of failed crypto exchange Thodex, was extradited to Turkey by the Albanian Ministry of Justice acting on the order of the country’s Supreme Court. A plane carrying Ozer landed in Istanbul on Thursday morning, Turkish media informed.
According to a report by the Anadolu Agency, the Istanbul Airport Police Department took custody of Ozer on arrival. The 27-year-old man was then taken to a police station and is expected to undergo a health checkup.
Ozer fled Turkey after the sudden collapse of Thodex two years ago. The exchange had attracted around 400,000 users during the crypto boom in the country. He was last seen on footage from Istanbul Airport and was believed to have left for Albania with a reported billion of investor money.
Turkey issued an international arrest warrant for the chief executive of Thodex in April 2021 and he was wanted with a red notice by Interpol. Ozer has been fighting his detention in Albanian courts since his arrest on Aug. 30, 2022.
The Elbasan Court of First Instance extended his detention on Sept. 2 and the Durres Court of Appeals upheld the decision on Sept. 20. In November, The Elbasan court authorized his extradition to Turkey, which was later approved by the Supreme Court in Tirana.
Turkish authorities have charged 21 people in connection with the exchange out of over 60 detained during the investigation. Prosecutors seek prison sentences totaling thousands of years for the founders and executives accused of committing fraud and money laundering while pulling an exit scam.
Do you think Thodex founder Faruk Ozer will be convicted of his alleged crimes? Share your thoughts on the case in the comments section below.
OneCoin Fugitive Cryptoqueen Allegedly Paid $50M to Lawyer to Launder Funds
n Former Locke Lord LLP partner allegedly received million to launder 0 million for OneCoin co-founder Ruja Ignatovan
CryptScout #BitFeed RSS – Bitcoin and Cryptocurrency News 24/7
OneCoin Fugitive Cryptoqueen Allegedly Paid $50 M to Lawyer to Launder Funds
n Former Locke Lord LLP partner allegedly received million to launder 0 million for OneCoin co-founder Ruja Ignatovan
CryptScout #BitFeed RSS – Bitcoin and Cryptocurrency News 24/7
“Big Bitcoin Heist” Fugitive Flees Iceland, Pens Letter Saying He Wants to Go Home
The man who escaped custody in Iceland and got on a passenger plane that was carrying the country’s prime minister says he ‘will be back soon.’
Sindri Thor Stefansson was being detained for his suspected role as the mastermind behind the February theft of 600 cryptocurrency mining rigs, being one of the 11 people arrested in what has been dubbed the ‘Big Bitcoin Heist.’
Stefansson escaped Sogn open prison in southern Iceland earlier this week and made his way to Keflavik International Airport. He then took a flight to Sweden with a ticket under another man’s name. An international warrant has been issued for his arrest.
In a recently penned letter, Stefansson has claimed he is not guilty and that he had been held in Iceland without trial. According to the letter, he is planning to take his case to the European Court of Human Rights. He added that talks are under way with Iceland’s police to allow him to return.
Stefansson’s Letter
In his letter to Iceland’s Frettabladid newspaper, Stefansson said he was not serving a sentence in Iceland and that his period of custody had run out. He claims he was told on Monday that he was actually free to go, but that the police, without explanation, would arrest him if he left the prison.
“I simply refuse to be in prison of my own free will, especially when the police threaten to arrest me without explanation,” he said in the letter, where he claimed that he was forced to sign a statement agreeing to remain in custody.
“I’m not trying to say that it was the right decision to leave, I really regret it… I didn’t expect an international arrest warrant to be issued against me, as I was legally free to leave, and believed it was out of the question that I would be labelled a fugitive. I would never have done this if I didn’t believe I was a free man.”
According to Stefansson, there was no evidence that he was involved in the mining rig heist, ‘only suspicion.’
While being careful not to reveal where he is currently hiding, he wrote that he has ‘a roof over my head, a car, false papers if I want them, and money,’ and that he could be on the run as long as he likes.
“It would be no problem if that’s what I wanted, but I would rather face this in Iceland, so I’ll be back soon,” he claims. Icelandic officials have not yet commented on the letter.
Case Against Stefansson
The cryptocurrency mining rigs in question were stolen during four raids on data centers around Iceland earlier this year. Iceland is a popular location for mining operations because almost 100% of the power generated in the Nordic country comes from renewable resources.
Unlike the large majority of thefts, with mining rigs there is a strong impetus for criminals to keep the stolen goods. Selling them would attract attention and their use can be highly profitable, particularly in a nation that has both cheap electricity and a cool climate (mining rigs consume vast quantities of electricity which this causes them to heat up).
Icelandic police have been monitoring electricity consumption patterns since the thefts. They have also called upon local internet service providers, electricians, and owners of storage units to report any suspicious behavior. The mining rigs, still missing, are worth million.
Image from Shutterstock.
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