Spanish authorities have arrested the ringleader behind the Nano Club Ponzi scheme.

Cited only as “the head of a criminal organization”, the suspect has been charged by Belgian authorities on multiple counts of fraud and money laundering.

As
reported by The Leader
on June 30th, 2024;

A 45-year-old Belgian has been arrested in Orihuela Costa on charges of fraud and money laundering in connection with a €24 million pyramid scheme.

The man, who faces up to ten years in prison, is accused of heading a criminal organization that defrauded Belgian investors between 2015 and 2018.

The Belgian authorities allege that the defendant lured investors into a fraudulent cryptocurrency investment scheme. Investors were promised high returns on their investments in “nano coins.”

Before we get to nano coins we have to back up to 2015 and the launch of Crypto 888 Club.

Crypto 888 Club
was an MLM crypto Ponzi built around “octacoin”. Aleksander Romanov, an individual believed to not exist, was presented as Crypto 888 Club’s founder.

Over the next year and a half Crypto 888 Club collapsed twice and was rebooted three times. BehindMLM next reported on the third reboot, Nano Club.

Nano Club
launched in late 2016 and was more of the same financial fraud, this time built around “nanocoins”.

Nano Club lasted until late 2017, wherein it was rebooted for a fourth and final time as Nano Crowd.

Nano Crowd
saw Nano Club victims funnelled into
Ormeus Global
, a Ponzi scheme set up by US national John Barksdale.

Barksdale was indicted on Ormeus Global fraud charges in the US in 2022. Barksdale was hiding out in Thailand at the time of his indictment.

Barksdale has since
fled to Dubai
, where he’s being
harbored by Mavie Global
– yet another MLM crypto Ponzi scheme. Barksdale remains a wanted fugitive.

Getting back to Nano Club and its nano coins;

The man is believed to be the head of the Belgian company behind the pyramid scheme.

According to the Belgian court, he collected over €9.8 million from investors through his companies. The investigation also suggests that he used much of this money to purchase real estate properties in Spain.

BehindMLM readers have
tied Nano Club to multiple Belgian nationals
over the years.

NANO real owner Stijn Vanstraelen, right hands are: Pieter Van Devijver, Kris Lemmens, Kristof De Vlieger, Tim Vermeiren, François Colin, Patrick Vermeesch, Hendrik Hendrickx, NANO CEO George Van Wijk, the NANO Lawyer Petter Forsberg.

In 2016
a BehindMLM reader claimed
Stijn Van Straelen was “an insider at Nano and is living in the Torevieja area in Spain, bought an expensive villa there and enjoying the good life from his “blood” money.”

Torrevieja is 10 miles from Orihuela Costa in Spain’s south-east. This also tracks with the arrested Belgian national laundering money through Spanish properties.

Here’s the only known photo of the arrested Nano Club ringleader:

Prior to Crypto 888 Club, here’s Stijn Van Straelen promoting EmGol

🤖 Quick Answer

What was the Nano Club Ponzi scheme?
The Nano Club was a fraudulent cryptocurrency investment scheme operating between 2015 and 2018, targeting Belgian investors. Participants were promised high returns on investments in "nano coins." The scheme defrauded victims of approximately €24 million before authorities dismantled the criminal organization responsible for the fraud.

Who was arrested in connection with the Nano Club scheme?
A 45-year-old Belgian national was arrested in Orihuela Costa, Spain, on charges of fraud and money laundering. Identified as the head of a criminal organization, the suspect faced multiple counts of fraud and money laundering, with a potential sentence of up to ten years in prison for his role in the scheme.

How did the Nano Club Ponzi scheme operate?
The criminal organization lured investors with promises of substantial returns on cryptocurrency investments, specifically in "nano coins

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