Last Thursday, the father of a cryptocurrency entrepreneur was kidnapped in the heart of Paris. The man was forced into a van by four masked men. The kidnapping took place in the 14th arrondissement of the capital around 10:30 a.m.
According to information provided by the prosecutor's office, the kidnappers quickly sent a ransom demand to the victim's son, who runs a crypto marketing company based in Malta. The criminals demanded between 5 and 7 million euros. Note that the kidnappers did not ask for cryptocurrency in exchange for the captive. They preferred a traditional bank transfer.
Five arrests and a mutilated victim
Two days after the kidnapping, the police managed to locate the victim's whereabouts. Law enforcement launched the assault during the evening on a home located in Essonne. They managed to rescue the captive.
Unfortunately, he had been mutilated by his captors. A source close to the case, interviewed by Le Monde, claims that one of the victim's fingers was severed. It is believed that the criminals wanted to use it to put pressure on the target. "Other mutilations were to be feared" if the police had not found the kidnappers, after an "extraordinary investigation," reports the prosecutor's office.
During the operation, four suspects, aged 20 to 27, were arrested. Another individual was also arrested while driving a car. The Anti-Banditism Brigade and the judicial police are currently investigating, with support from the Cybercrime Brigade.
A known modus operandi
The kidnappers' modus operandi is reminiscent of that of the attackers of David Balland, co-founder of the unicorn Ledger, who was kidnapped from his home near Vierzon in January. Held captive by several men, he also lost a finger at the hands of his tormentors. The entrepreneur was rescued by the GIGN, while his partner, kidnapped shortly afterward, was found in the trunk of a vehicle in Essonne.
This is already "the 5th case of kidnapping in France (or near France) since 2023, the 4th since December 2024", worries journalist Gregory Raymond, a specialist in the cryptocurrency industry. Given the modus operandi used, it can be estimated that the same network of "serial kidnappers" is currently targeting crypto giants in France. The case indeed has many common points, such as relatively young sponsors, recruited for a few thousand euros on social networks.
Prior to the kidnapping, the victim and her son received threats, the captive's wife told the police. They had taken the trouble to contact the authorities because they feared for their lives. For Gregory Raymond, it is essential that "law enforcement be made aware of the need to protect those at risk, especially when they are able to produce evidence that they are being targeted."
Panic in Crypto
In any case, this new incident has caused a wave of panic within the community of crypto entrepreneurs in France. Videographer Owen Simonin, alias Hasheur, who was the target of an attempted home invasion in 2022, says that "these repeated attacks" are frightening and "you have to be constantly on your guard".
In this context, "a number of the contacts I have had in recent hours have decided to leave France with their families", reports Gregory Raymond. These kidnappings appear to be driving crypto giants away from French territory.
Source: Le Monde
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