French police are tracking down the mastermind behind the kidnapping attempts that rocked the cryptocurrency sector. According to Le Parisien, investigators believe they have identified "at least one common mastermind" of four kidnappings. The man is believed to be behind the kidnapping of Ledger co-founder David Balland, the abduction of an entrepreneur's father, the attempted kidnapping of the daughter of Pierre Noizat, founder of the startup Paymium, and the attack foiled this week.
What we know about one of the masterminds of the kidnappings
One of the masterminds of the operation is believed to be a 40-year-old Franco-Moroccan. Hiding in Morocco, he is believed to be part of a vast criminal organization. To commit its crimes, the organization has taken to recruiting young offenders on social media. They are generally in their twenties. Sometimes, the hired henchmen are minors.
The police were able to trace the mastermind by analyzing blockchain transactions that occurred during David Balland's kidnapping. To gain time, the authorities had asked Ledger's other founders, Éric Larchevêque and Nicolas Bacca, to pay a ransom in cryptocurrencies. With the help of an army of experts, law enforcement tracked the cryptocurrencies through the blockchains. The funds were ultimately frozen. It was during this online chase that the mastermind's identity was revealed. Investigators examined the traffic on the exchange platforms used.
A single organization behind the kidnappings
Following David Balland's rescue, police discovered "a list of targets supporting the link between all these kidnapping cases and kidnapping plans" on the phone of one of the kidnappers. This list demonstrates that all the kidnapping cases that have occurred in France in recent months are indeed linked. The list includes the names of several relatives of crypto entrepreneurs who would make ideal targets. The name of Pierre Noizat's daughter and the name of the father of an entrepreneur, who was kidnapped and mutilated in early May, were on it. The document also highlighted the organization's modus operandi and the resources made available.
Investigations confirm that each kidnapping is orchestrated by the same organization, but carried out by a different team of mercenaries. A new team of criminals had just been formed for the kidnapping planned for the beginning of the week in Nantes.
Source: Le Parisien
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