Six suspects are detained after a French magistrate and her mother were abducted in a crypto ransom plot and later rescued, officials say.
French authorities have arrested six suspects, including a minor, after a magistrate and her mother were abducted in a case prosecutors say involved a cryptocurrency ransom demand.
The 35-year-old magistrate and her 67-year-old mother were found injured but alive in a garage in the Drôme region in southeastern France on Friday morning, following their disappearance the night before. Authorities launched a large-scale search after the victims’ partner received a message and photo from the kidnappers demanding payment in cryptocurrency.
Lyon prosecutor Thierry Dran said four men and one woman were detained during the initial operation, and a sixth suspect — a minor — was taken into custody later. Two of those arrested were intercepted while attempting to board a bus to Spain. Formal charges are expected as investigators determine each person’s role.
Prosecutors said the captors threatened to mutilate the victims if the crypto ransom was not paid quickly, though authorities have not disclosed the amount demanded. No ransom was paid before the victims were freed. Police credited a neighbour’s intervention after the women made noise inside the garage, allowing them to escape and alert authorities.
The incident adds to a rising trend of “wrench attacks” and violent extortion cases linked to cryptocurrency in France, where criminals reportedly target individuals perceived to have digital assets. Past high-profile cases include the 2025 abduction of a cryptocurrency executive and other similar plots involving ransom demands in digital currencies.
Authorities involved more than 160 officers in the search, reflecting growing concern about the intersection of organised crime and cryptocurrency-related extortion.
Reports are sourced from official documents, law-enforcement updates, and credible investigations.
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