Father of wealthy cryptocurrency investor found and saved by the French police after a fingertip allegedly gets severed in a hostage situation.
In the heart of Paris, an unsettling ordeal unfolded last weekend. Seven individuals found themselves in police custody, following a daring raid to extricate a man who'd been captive thanks to a chilling abduction orchestrated by a gang with crypto cash demands.
This unnamed victim was traced to a residence in Essonne, a department situated south of the City of Lights, after authorities stormed the premises late on Saturday, according to the prosecutor's office's statement. The kidnapping had transpired on May 1st, in Paris's Southern 14th arrondissement, during broad daylight with passers-by witnessing the suspects bundling the victim into a delivery van adorned with ski masks.
The victim, it seems, is the father of an affluent crypto investor whose wealth stemmed from virtual currency investments. The motive for the kidnapping? A monstrous ransom demand, with estimates suggesting it ranged from €5 to €7 million ($5.7-$7.9 million). Thankfully, the authorities reported that no payment had been remitted.
Speculation about the size of the ransom aside, it appears that the captors performed a gruesome act upon the victim, severing one of his fingers as a macabre warning should the ransom not be met.
This case forms part of a broader investigation into a spate of kidnappings targeting cryptocurrency millionaires in France and neighboring countries. One other high-profile case concerns David Balland, co-founder of Ledger, who faced similar threats but was eventually freed owing to a police operation. The uptick in such incidents underscores a concerning trend in the region regarding the targeting of individuals associated with cryptocurrency wealth.
- The ransom demand for the victim, a father of a cryptocurrency investor, was estimated to be between €5 to €7 million, a sum that authorities confirmed was not paid.
- In the general-news of crime-and-justice, this particular kidnapping transpired in the Southern 14th arrondissement of Paris, with passers-by witnessing the suspects bundling the victim into a delivery van.
- Anonymity was a key feature for the kidnappers, as they wore ski masks during the abduction and the names of the seven individuals apprehended have not been disclosed.
- This recent case in Essonne, south of Paris, is one of several instances where cryptocurrency millionaires have been targeted, reflecting a growing trend of crime involving technology and wealth in the region.
