Key Takeaways
- As per reports, France has led Europe in the number of crypto-related physical attacks, accounting for around 6 of 22 documented cases worldwide.
- In total, French authorities suspect the group may have been involved in as many as five separate attempts this year.
French prosecutors have formally charged 25 individuals, all aged between 16 and 2,3 over a series of violent kidnappings and attempted abductions targeting figures in the country’s crypto industry. The charges follow an expansive probe into a spate of crypto-related physical attacks,
As per local media reports, coordinated attacks targeted prominent industry figures, including Paymium CEO Pierre Noizat. The most serious incident occurred on May 13 in Paris’ 11th arrondissement, when four masked assailants attacked Noizat’s daughter, her husband, and their child outside their residence.
The assault, which was captured on surveillance and circulated online, showed the attackers violently dragging the victims before fleeing which resulted in the family suffering minor injuries.
Police say this was not the group’s first attempt. A failed abduction had taken place the day before, and another coordinated plot was intercepted just days later near the western city of Nantes. In total, French authorities suspect the group may have been involved in as many as five separate attempts this year.
Defense attorneys described many of the accused as vulnerable young people driven by financial desperation and seduced by the allure of fast crypto wealth.
Eighteen of the accused are currently in pre-trial detention. Three have opted to defer their hearings, while four remain under judicial supervision. The severity of the charges, coupled with the international dimensions of some suspects’ backgrounds, has prompted an extensive criminal inquiry.
As per reports, France has led Europe in the number of crypto-related physical attacks, accounting for around 6 of 22 documented cases worldwide. Investigators believe the trend reflects a growing undercurrent of organized crime seeking to exploit the often opaque nature of digital asset holdings.
In January, Ledger co-founder David Balland and his partner were briefly held hostage in their home before managing to escape. In early May, the father of a crypto millionaire was kidnapped in Lyon in what police now say may be tied to the same network.
To tackle the spate of crypto crimes, France’s Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau had a discussion with crypto industry professionals in mid-May. Soon after the meeting which discussed protective measures, the ministry announced enhanced cooperation between law enforcement and crypto firms to curtail the surge in crimes
