Guernsey seizes almost £9m from 'cryptoqueen'

A fugitive wanted by US authorities has had her assets confiscated by Guernsey's government.

Guernsey's Royal Court determined Dr Ruja Ignatova, 45, had £8.59m plus interest held in an account at RBS International in Guernsey, in the name of Aquitaine Group Limited.

Ignatova, known as the Missing Cryptoqueen, has not been seen in eight years, disappearing days after an arrest warrant was issued for her in the US.

The Royal Court held up an Overseas Forfeiture Order, which was sought on behalf of German authorities in the city of Bielefeld, and the funds were transferred to Guernsey's Seized Asset Fund.

A Bulgaria-born German citizen, Ignatova is wanted by prosecutors in Germany.

The search for Ignatova, who is also wanted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), is the subject of a BBC podcast and multiple TV documentaries.

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