French police have successfully rescued the father of a prominent cryptocurrency millionaire who had been kidnapped in a brazen daylight abduction in Paris. According to reports, the unnamed victim, in his 50s, was forcefully taken by four masked men in a central Paris location on Thursday. The incident marks a troubling pattern, as it is the third kidnapping related to the cryptocurrency sector in France this year, indicating an escalating risk for those involved in this lucrative industry.
The kidnapped father was discovered eight hours later in a residential property located in Palaiseau, a suburb to the south of the capital. Upon rescue, reports indicate he had suffered serious injuries, including the loss of a finger, a grim reminder of the brutality involved. The assailants demanded a ransom ranging from 5 to 7 million euros, prompting police to quickly mobilize to locate the victim, utilizing mobile phone signals to track him down.
French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau commended the investigative unit on social media for their "exceptional job in freeing this man," underscoring the dangers that have become pervasive within the cryptocurrency landscape. The rising trend of abductions connected to cryptocurrency wealth is alarming; this follows the earlier kidnapping of David Balland, the co-founder of Ledger, abducted with his wife earlier this year. Both victims similarly faced dismemberment at the hands of their captors, with ransom demands reaching as high as 10 million euros.
This pattern of violence has sparked concerns on multiple fronts—highlighting not only potential security risks for affluent crypto participants but also a growing criminal economy targeting this new technological frontier. Authorities are actively questioning the four suspects apprehended in this latest incident, as they work to piece together a narrative behind these shocking crimes and the motivations of those behind them.
