In a shocking crime in Paris, criminals kidnapped the father of a cryptocurrency entrepreneur and severed one of his fingers in a ransom attempt.
French police special units managed to rescue the father on Saturday night and apprehend the suspects, as announced by Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau on Sunday.
The prosecutor’s office revealed that the suspects are five men aged between 20 and 27. The injured victim received medical attention from emergency services. According to police sources cited by Paris Match, the perpetrators might have inflicted further harm if the special units had not intervened.
Le Parisien reported that the targeted cryptocurrency entrepreneur runs a business with operations in Malta and France. On Friday morning, four masked men kidnapped his father in front of witnesses, demanding €5 to €7 million from the entrepreneur. However, no ransom was paid, and the family claimed they had been threatened beforehand. Authorities have launched an investigation into kidnapping, unlawful detention, and torture.
This incident follows a similar case just three months ago when the co-founder of the crypto company Ledger and his wife were abducted in France. Kidnappers demanded about €10 million in bitcoin, cutting off the entrepreneur’s finger to enforce their demand. Police eventually freed the victims and arrested seven suspects in that case.
