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French authorities person arrested 5 suspects aft a magistrate and her parent were held captive past week for astir 30 hours successful a cryptocurrency ransom plot, prosecutors told AFP connected Sunday (February 8, 2026).
The arrests of 4 men and 1 pistillate followed the find of the 35-year-old magistrate and her 67-year-old parent connected Friday, recovered injured successful a store successful the southeastern Drome department, the Lyon nationalist prosecutor's bureau said.
During a property league held aboriginal connected Friday, Lyon authoritative Thierry Dran said the magistrate's spouse — who was not location erstwhile the brace were abducted overnight Wednesday to Thursday (February 5) — has a starring presumption successful a cryptocurrency start-up.
A monolithic constabulary hunt involving 160 officers was launched aft helium had received a connection and a photograph of his spouse from the kidnappers demanding a ransom to beryllium paid successful cryptocurrency.
The captors threatened to mutilate the victims if the transportation was not made quickly, Dran told reporters, declining to specify the magnitude demanded.
But the 2 women managed to escaped themselves and rise the alarm. They were rescued Friday greeting successful Bourg-les-Valence without immoderate ransom being paid, according to the prosecutor.
French authorities person been dealing with a drawstring of kidnappings and extortion attempts targeting the families of affluent individuals dealing successful cryptocurrencies.
In January 2025, kidnappers seized French crypto brag David Balland and his partner. Balland co-founded a crypto steadfast called Ledger, valued astatine the clip astatine much than $1 billion.
Balland's kidnappers chopped disconnected his digit and demanded a hefty ransom. He was freed the adjacent day, and his woman was recovered tied up successful the footwear of a car extracurricular Paris.
In May, the begetter of a antheral who ran a Malta-based cryptocurrency institution was kidnapped by 4 hooded men successful Paris.
The victim, whose digit was besides severed by the kidnappers and for whom a ransom of respective cardinal euros was demanded, was released 58 hours aboriginal successful a raid by the information forces.
