Johann Steynberg, the wanted CEO of Mirror Trading International, was recently arrested by Brazilian law enforcement agencies after he was caught with a forged document. The arrest, which took place in the country’s Goiás province, was carried out by the Brazilian military police.
Fake IDs, laptops and credit cards seized
Johann Steynberg, the CEO of Mirror Trading International (MTI), a Bitcoin Ponzi scheme, was recently arrested by Brazilian law enforcement agencies after being caught with a false document, reports from the South American country said. Credit cards, laptops and fake IDs were also confiscated after the arrest.
According to several Portuguese-language reports, Steynberg, who is on Interpol’s wanted list, was arrested in the province of Goiás by members of an elite unit of the Brazilian military police.
In a statement confirming the arrest, the Brazilian military police also shared details of the steps taken before the decision to capture Steynberg was made. The statement explains:
After intensive investigative and follow-up work, the suspect, who presented a wrong document when approached, could be identified and addressed with the help of the information provided by the Federal Police.
Steynberg sentenced to a fine for using a false document
The Brazilian military police said that Steynberg was not only arrested for his role as the main mastermind of the MTI Bitcoin Ponzi system, but also had to pay a fine in connection with the use of a false document.
As previously reported by Bitcoin.com News, Steynberg disappeared in late December 2020 when reports surfaced that several MTI investors were unable to withdraw their funds. Shortly after his disappearance, a South African court ruled that MTI must be temporarily liquidated.
However, since then, other thought leaders at MTI – which has been dubbed the biggest bitcoin scam in 2020 – have fought a battle to stop the process of liquidating the collapsed company. Meanwhile, a court ruling is pending on a petition declaring MTI an illegal business.
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Terence Zimwara
Terence Zimwara is an award-winning journalist, writer, and writer based in Zimbabwe. He has written extensively on the economic problems faced by some African countries and how digital currencies can provide an escape route for Africans.
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