- Criminals kidnapped a cryptocurrency entrepreneur’s father in Paris, severing his finger to demand €5-7 million ransom.
- French police special forces rescued the victim and arrested five suspects aged 20-27.
- This incident follows a similar cryptocurrency-related kidnapping in France just three months earlier.
French police rescued the father of a cryptocurrency entrepreneur after kidnappers severed one of the victim’s fingers during an extortion attempt in Paris. The abductors demanded between €5 million and €7 million (RM24.02 million and RM33.63 million) from the entrepreneur, according to French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau, who confirmed the rescue operation on May 4.
Five suspects between the ages of 20 and 27 were arrested following the dramatic police intervention. According to police sources cited by Paris Match magazine, the special forces operation likely prevented further mutilation of the victim, who received emergency medical treatment for his injuries.
Violent Abduction in Broad Daylight
The kidnapping occurred Friday morning when four masked individuals forcibly dragged the victim into a van in front of witnesses, as reported by Le Parisien newspaper. The victim’s son operates a cryptocurrency company with operations in both Malta and France. The family indicated they had received threats prior to the abduction taking place.
Despite the substantial ransom demand, authorities reported that no payment was made before the successful rescue operation. The French judiciary has launched formal investigations into several serious charges including kidnapping, unlawful detention, and torture, according to the public prosecutor’s office.
Pattern of Cryptocurrency-Related Kidnappings
This violent incident represents the second cryptocurrency-related kidnapping in France within three months. In a strikingly similar case, David Balland, a co-founder of cryptocurrency company Ledger, and his wife were abducted in France earlier this year.
In that previous case, kidnappers also severed one of the entrepreneur’s fingers to emphasize their demand for approximately €10 million (RM48.04 million) in Bitcoin. Police successfully freed those victims as well and apprehended seven suspects in connection with that crime.
The French authorities have not publicly indicated whether they believe the two kidnappings might be connected, though the similar tactics and targeting of cryptocurrency entrepreneurs have raised concerns within the industry about security risks faced by high-profile individuals in the digital asset space.
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