French Crypto-Linked Kidnapping Ring Busted After Victims Escape Garage
French authorities dismantled a kidnapping ring targeting a magistrate and her mother in a crypto ransom scheme. Five suspects were arrested, including three detained overnight and two taken into custody Sunday morning. A minor was later apprehended in connection with the case.
The victims—a 35-year-old magistrate and her 67-year-old mother—were found injured in a Drome garage on February 6 after being abducted days earlier. The assailants threatened mutilation unless a cryptocurrency ransom was paid, though the amount remains undisclosed. The women escaped by banging on the garage door until a neighbor intervened.
Prosecutor Thierry Dran confirmed the arrests as two suspects attempted to flee to Spain. The operation highlights risks facing crypto industry affiliates, though no specific digital assets were demanded.
