Finger amputation for ransom, family attacks, millions in ransom— the dark underbelly of cryptocurrency crime exposed!
A 24-year-old suspect (Badiss Mohamed Amide Bajjou) was recently arrested by the police in Morocco, accused of being the mastermind behind multiple kidnapping and extortion cases targeting French cryptocurrency tycoons.
This young 'godfather', who has been placed on Interpol's red notice, is suspected of orchestrating a series of heinous criminal activities. One of the most shocking cases involved David Balland, co-founder of the cryptocurrency hardware wallet company Ledger: the kidnappers cruelly severed his fingers and demanded a cryptocurrency ransom of up to 10 million euros (approximately 78 million yuan). When police searched Bajjou's hideout, they seized a large amount of evidence related to the crime, including weapons, mobile phones, and cash.
A cloud of terror hangs over the French crypto circle
Bajjou's criminal network extends far beyond this case. Investigations show that he was also involved in a failed kidnapping attempt in May against Pierre Noizat, CEO of Paymium, involving Noizat's daughter, son-in-law, and their child during the day. Fortunately, passersby intervened in time to prevent this tragedy. Currently, French authorities have filed lawsuits against 25 individuals involved in the case, including Bajjou, some of whom are minors.
The victims of these cases are often prominent figures in the cryptocurrency field, and their digital wealth makes them targets for criminals.
French police are fighting back with all their might, and the global alarm bells are ringing
In the face of increasingly rampant cryptocurrency-related crime, French police have stated that they will take tough measures to root out the criminal gangs threatening the country's 'crypto elite.' Although Bajjou's capture is a significant breakthrough, another suspected mastermind in his 40s remains at large, and the shadows of the case have yet to dissipate.
Meanwhile, there has been a surge in kidnapping cases targeting cryptocurrency worldwide, prompting law enforcement agencies in Europe and the United States to upgrade their security measures. As digital wealth continues to grow, real-world dangers are also closing in.