Fugitive

Speculation has surfaced regarding Ruja Ignatova, the infamous Bulgarian "crypto queen" and founder of OneCoin, being sought in Cape Town, South Africa, via a billboard campaign. However, there has been no official confirmation of such efforts in the city. Ignatova remains on the FBI's list of the 10 most wanted fugitives.

Turkish authorities have captured three notorious leaders of foreign crime organizations in coordinated operations conducted in Istanbul and the southern province of Antalya.

Police in Thessaloniki, northern Greece, have arrested five fugitives and wanted persons convicted of or wanted for various crimes.

One of the arrestees is 55-year-old man against whom authorities in Corfu had issued a pending arrest warrant for fraud while he had also been convicted to a total prison sentence of 11 years for fraud, embezzlement and extortion.

Montenegrin police officer on patrol in the capital Podgorica. Photo. BIRN/Samir Kajosevic

The US Justice Department said that Richard Ayvazyan, his wife, Marietta Terabelian, and his sister-in-law, Tamara Dadyan, were in detention in Montenegro. The Montenegrin Interior Ministry didn't respond to BIRN's request for arrest details by time of publication.

Police in China have arrested a fugitive criminal who has been hiding for 17 years. His hiding place was discovered with the help of a drone. Song Jiang, 63, was sentenced to prison for trafficking in women and children, but in 2002 managed to escape from a prison camp. All these years he lived in a miniature cave and did not interact with people.

Belgium has added a Turkish terror fugitive on its most wanted list, local media reported.

Two fugitives who escaped from a prison in western Turkey have been detained after they asked security forces for directions. 

Greek Police (ELAS) have rereleased photos of escaped prison convict Vassilis Palaiocostas, noting they have also been sent to the European Union's police agency, Europol, which features the fugitive on its most wanted list. 

The photos are dated August 22, 2008, just months before he escaped from prison on February 22, 2009. 

511 are the wanted persons with a conviction in 2017, declared the director of the National Police Directorate Hristo Terziiski, summing up the total of 14 categories of persons wanted.

One of Austria's top fugitives - wanted for several cases of burglary, theft and severe violence - has been arrested in Kosovo, Europol has announced.

The arrest took place on Tuesday, the organization said.