In what sounds like something straight out of a movie, French police have arrested a group of suspects as part of a massive investigation into a kidnapping-for-ransom ring. The latest batch of arrests happened on Tuesday, but don’t hold your breath for exact numbers; officials are keeping those details under wraps. What we do know is that these suspects are currently in custody, thanks to France’s anti-organized crime laws, which let them stay detained for up to 96 hours without charges. Guess they’ve got all the time they need to figure out what’s going on.
The story behind these arrests is juicy. It all started on May 1, when the father of a wealthy crypto entrepreneur was nabbed in broad daylight from Paris’s 14th arrondissement. Four masked men, pretending to be delivery workers, whisked him away into a van while passersby just stared. The kidnappers weren’t looking for a casual payout; they wanted millions of euros in cryptocurrency. As if that wasn’t enough, they reportedly even cut off one of the victim’s fingers to make their point. The man was eventually rescued by a tactical police unit after being held for days in a house on the outskirts of Paris.
A Web of Crypto-Themed Crime
This kidnapping was just the tip of the iceberg. Authorities quickly realized they were dealing with a coordinated extortion network that had set its sights on crypto millionaires. French police went into full manhunt mode, determined to take down the ring.
Fast forward to just days ago, and Moroccan authorities nabbed 24-year-old Badiss Mohamed Amide Bajjou in Tangier. This guy is no rookie; he’s allegedly the mastermind behind several abductions, including the January kidnapping of David Balland, co-founder of Ledger, a French crypto wallet provider. The French had issued an Interpol red notice, and Bajjou didn’t get far. Moroccan officials seized weapons, electronics, and some serious cash. Talk about a haul. Now France wants him back for a date with justice.
Bajjou is suspected of running a recruitment operation, using social media and messaging platforms to lure in young operatives eager for a quick payday. By May 31, French prosecutors had charged 25 people, most of them aged 16 to 23 and mostly from Paris, though a few were from far-flung places like Senegal, Angola, and Russia.
Crypto-Related Kidnapping Attempts - Not Just Another Tuesday
Oh, and just in case you thought this network was done, let’s talk about the failed May 13 abduction of Pierre Noizat’s daughter and grandson. Noizat is the CEO of Paymium, a French crypto exchange. The attempted kidnapping went down in central Paris, and it was so bold that bystanders caught it on camera. The attackers, though, fled the scene, but police later tied the attempt to the same network.
It seems these crypto kidnappers are out for more than just ransom; they’re making it clear that no one with a fortune in digital currency is safe. French authorities are working hard to bring the whole operation down, but for now, the kidnappers seem to be keeping their fingers crossed that they’re out of the spotlight.
Alex Shepel
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