A mother and her son were rescued in a dramatic police operation following their abduction by criminals who demanded a ransom in cryptocurrency. Seven individuals were apprehended by a specialized police unit in Boissy-Saint-Léger, France, where the victims were held captive after a violent break-in at their residence.
Witnesses reported that four masked assailants forcibly entered the family’s home early Monday morning, restraining the father and searching for the mother and child upstairs. The criminals demanded a cryptocurrency transfer of $400,000 (£295,000), assaulted the father, and made threats of harm. They proceeded to ransack the house, stealing cash, jewelry, silver ingots, and a rifle used to intimidate the family.
The criminals’ plan was disrupted when they realized the crypto transfer would take seven days, prompting them to abduct the woman and child before fleeing in two vehicles. The father managed to free himself and sought help from a friend, who contacted the authorities.
Videos sent by the victims while being held in a hotel room led investigators to Boissy-Saint-Léger, where the elite tactical unit of the French National Gendarmerie, known as GIGN, intervened. Three men were arrested on-site, and four additional suspects were apprehended later, with an ongoing police investigation.
French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez commended the authorities for their swift response in locating and rescuing the victims. Several suspects were detained in connection with this case and others related to cryptocurrency crimes, with the investigation continuing.
This incident adds to a series of crypto-related kidnappings in France, including a recent case where a couple in Yvelines was held at knifepoint and forced to transfer £800,000 in Bitcoin. Authorities attribute these crimes, known as “wrench attacks,” to criminal networks abroad recruiting local youths through messaging apps like Telegram.