France Charges 25 in Crypto Kidnapping Conspiracy Targeting Industry Figures

French prosecutors have indicted 25 individuals, including teenagers as young as 16, in a coordinated kidnapping scheme targeting cryptocurrency entrepreneurs and their families. The group allegedly used stolen vehicles and fake courier branding to abduct victims linked to digital asset wealth.

The case centers on a May 13 attack in Paris’s 11th arrondissement, where masked assailants assaulted Paymium CEO Pierre Noizat’s daughter and grandson. Surveillance footage of the daylight incident went viral, showing injuries requiring hospital treatment. Authorities connect this to two other foiled attempts NEAR Nantes and in Paris suburbs.

Of those charged, 18 remain in pretrial detention while four await trial under supervision. The multinational group hails from Paris, Senegal, Angola, Russia, and Châtellerault—revealing the transnational nature of crypto-related crime.