France Busts Gang Over Crypto Tycoon’s Father’s Violent Kidnapping

Highlights:

• French police have arrested five suspects over a New Year’s Eve crypto-related kidnapping.
• The victim had been beaten, doused with petrol, and put inside a trunk of a car.
• Crypto crime attacks are rising in France, targeting family members.

The kidnapping of a cryptocurrency entrepreneur’s father in a very brutal way has stunned the French police. On December 31, 2024, five men executed a raid on a house in the town of Saint-Genis-Pouilly, close to the border with Switzerland. The attackers tied up a man and his wife and asked for ransom for their son, a renowned crypto influencer, who resides in Dubai.

Upon failing to secure any payment, the gang kidnapped the man, who was 56 years old. Moreover, his woman was left behind in the house, tied and traumatized. Several hours later, the police found the victim in Sarthe, almost 700 kilometers away. They discovered him crammed in a car trunk, beaten up and soaked in petrol.

France arrests five in kidnapping of cryptocurrency entrepreneur's father
➡️ https://t.co/SwjWmcpxer pic.twitter.com/Q8bFSNJ2uY

— FRANCE 24 (@FRANCE24) June 21, 2025

Suspects Face Serious Criminal Charges

Five were arrested by French police this week after a months-long probe. The four involved suspects fall between the ages of 18 and 22 years old, with one minor, aged 17 years old. In addition, all of them are accused of kidnapping, armed robbery, and aggravated assault.

Three of the adults already had a record of theft, drug, and violence crimes. The minor had also been familiar to the law enforcement because of an aggravated theft case. Their detention, which was confirmed by the prosecutors on June 21, was described as premeditated and extremely violent. The crypto figure’s identity remains undisclosed. However, according to officials, his public image was widely known. Consequently, this profile probably brought him to the attention of criminals with money-making intentions.

Rising Threats Against Crypto Holders in France

This kidnapping is not the first instance in France in which crypto holders are being targeted. Individuals and families associated with digital assets are becoming targets of criminals. In one of the recent incidents, criminals attempted to kidnap the daughter of a crypto CEO in Paris. However, the attempt was unsuccessful as she fought back, and bystanders intervened.

Another incident was the abduction of a man at Maisons-Alfort. The kidnappers contacted his girlfriend with a video containing a ransom demand to receive cash. In addition, they asked for permission to access the crypto hardware wallet. He was afterwards freed at Creteil. Law enforcement suspects that such attacks indicate a rising pattern of crypto-related crimes in the country.

Earlier this year, French law enforcement officers liberated a co-founder of a well-known crypto hardware firm and his wife after they had been held hostage for several days. The criminals amputated his finger in a bid to retrieve Bitcoin. Additionally, a subsequent investigation resulted in the arrest of ten suspects in an organized criminal network related to the case.

Crypto Crimes Prompt Police Crackdown

With such cases increasing, law enforcers have stepped up their game in curbing crypto-related offenses in France. For instance, in May, 25 suspects were charged with a separate scheme to kidnap a number of crypto entrepreneurs. In another incident, five people had organized the kidnapping of a young man and his mother in northern France. However, the group was intercepted by authorities prior to the action.