A mother and her child were rescued in a daring police operation after being taken by kidnappers who demanded a ransom in cryptocurrency. Seven individuals were apprehended by a specialized police unit that swiftly intervened at a location in Boissy-Saint-Léger, France, where the victims were held captive following a frightening home invasion.
Reports indicate that four masked assailants forcibly entered the family residence early on Monday, restraining the father and proceeding upstairs to locate the mother and 11-year-old son. The perpetrators demanded a cryptocurrency transfer of $400,000 (£295,000), assaulted the father, and made threats of harm. They proceeded to ransack the home, stealing €10,000 (£8,600) in cash, jewelry, silver ingots, and a rifle to further intimidate the family.
Their scheme was disrupted when they realized the crypto transfer would be delayed by seven days, prompting them to take the woman and child as hostages before fleeing in two vehicles. Eventually, the father managed to free himself and seek help from a friend, who contacted the authorities.
Video evidence received by the father led investigators to a hotel room in Boissy-Saint-Léger, where the victims were traced. The GIGN, a specialized tactical unit of the French National Gendarmerie, conducted a successful raid the following day, resulting in the arrest of three individuals at the scene and four others in subsequent hours, as the police investigation continued.
French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez commended the gendarmerie investigators and the GIGN for their swift actions in locating and rescuing the victims. Several suspects have been detained in connection with this case, as part of an ongoing investigation into cryptocurrency-related crimes.
This incident adds to a series of cryptocurrency-linked kidnappings in France, including a recent case where a couple was held at knifepoint in their home and forced to transfer a significant sum in Bitcoin. Authorities attribute many of these “wrench attacks” to criminal figures abroad, who recruit local gang members through messaging applications like Telegram.
