France Makes New Arrests in Ongoing Crypto Kidnapping Case

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Crypto Kidnappers: The French Connection You Didn’t Order! 🍟💰

Well, hold onto your berets, folks! French authorities are on a roll, arresting more suspects than a mime at a loud party! 🎭 It seems these guys are linked to a series of abductions that make your average soap opera look like a picnic. We’re talking about cryptocurrency executives and their families being snatched like croissants from a bakery! 🥐

According to a juicy report from Barron’s (June 11, mark your calendars!), the latest arrests happened on a Tuesday—because who doesn’t love a good Tuesday drama? 📅 The investigation is all about a kidnapping-for-ransom operation that sounds like a plot twist straight out of a bad movie.

Now, the French officials are playing it close to the vest, not revealing how many suspects they’ve rounded up. But sources say they’re being held under France’s anti-organized crime laws, which allow for a whopping 96 hours of detention without charge. Talk about a long wait for a coffee! ☕

These arrests are linked to a May 1 incident where the father of a wealthy crypto entrepreneur was snatched right out of Paris’s 14th arrondissement in broad daylight! Four masked men, posing as delivery workers, decided to play “let’s kidnap someone” while onlookers just stood there like they were watching a street performer. 🎭

In a move that’s as shocking as finding out your favorite cheese is made from something other than milk, the kidnappers reportedly cut off one of the victim’s fingers to extort millions in cryptocurrency. Ouch! 😱 Thankfully, a tactical police unit swooped in like superheroes and rescued him after a few days of being held in a house on the outskirts of Paris. Talk about a bad Airbnb experience!

And just when you thought it couldn’t get crazier, authorities launched a manhunt to dismantle this coordinated extortion network targeting crypto millionaires. It’s like a game of Monopoly, but with real stakes! 🎲

Just days after the latest arrests, Moroccan police nabbed 24-year-old Badiss Mohamed Amide Bajjou in Tangier. This guy is accused of masterminding multiple abduction plots, including the January kidnapping of David Balland, co-founder of French crypto wallet provider Ledger. Sounds like a real-life villain, doesn’t he? 🦹‍♂️

Acting on a French-issued Interpol red notice, Moroccan authorities seized Bajjou along with a stash of weapons, electronic devices, and suspected illicit funds. French officials are now playing the extradition game—who knew law enforcement could be so dramatic? 🎭

Investigators believe Bajjou is the puppet master behind this whole operation, recruiting young operatives via social media. It’s like a twisted version of “The Voice,” but instead of singing, they’re plotting kidnappings! 🎤

By May 31, French prosecutors had charged 25 people, aged 16 to 23, in connection with attempted kidnappings. Most of them are from the Paris region, while others hail from far-off lands like Senegal, Angola, and Russia. They were lured in with promises of financial gains—because who wouldn’t want to be a foot soldier in a high-risk operation? 💸

Among the group’s escapades is the failed May 13 abduction of the daughter and grandson of Paymium CEO Pierre Noizat. This incident went down in central Paris and was caught on video by bystanders. The attackers fled, but authorities later linked the attempt to the same network. It’s like a bad sequel that just won’t quit! 🎬

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2025-06-12 09:56