France links 135 crypto kidnappings to structured networks

French authorities say 135 kidnappings connected to cryptocurrency theft since 2023 are tied to organized criminal cells. The National Prosecutor’s Office unit that handles organized crime, Pnaco, reports 75 suspects are in pre-trial detention and that investigators have identified 47 cases so far this year.

Prosecutors say the groups target crypto holders and their relatives, using coordinated teams to abduct victims and seize cash, cars and cold wallets. Pnaco officials said recruiters use messaging app channels to find accomplices and organize attacks across regions.

Investigators described several recent incidents. In one case, a family of five was held at gunpoint and robbed of their vehicle and a cold wallet containing about $800,000 in cryptocurrency. In a separate November case in Challes-les-Eaux, prosecutors charged three men aged 25 to 30; two of them face further charges for an attack weeks later in Charente-Maritime. Authorities said those suspects had prior criminal records.

Police also arrested a 17-year-old accused of kidnapping a woman and her 67-year-old mother to extort crypto. Investigators reported that the teen and two alleged accomplices forced the women into a car trunk; traces of one victim’s blood were found in the vehicle. Officers later found the teenager at home playing video games days after the incident. The group told investigators they had been recruited on Telegram by an individual using the alias “Hermano.” Two suspects were detained while trying to board a bus to Spain.

Law enforcement actions have led to criminal charges in multiple inquiries. Pnaco said 88 people, including about a dozen minors, have been charged across 12 active crypto-kidnapping investigations. The office reported that most of the 75 suspects arrested recently remain in pre-trial detention.

Prosecutors said investigations continue into the online recruitment channels and the flow of funds through cryptocurrency exchanges and mixing services. Vanessa Perrée, who leads Pnaco, said investigators have identified individuals linked to several separate attacks and described the operations as structured networks.