In a dramatic police operation, a mother and her 11-year-old son have been rescued after being kidnapped by masked men who demanded a cryptocurrency ransom worth nearly £300,000. The elite GIGN tactical unit of the French National Gendarmerie raided an address in Boissy-Saint-Léger, France, freeing the victims and arresting seven suspects in connection with the terrifying home invasion.
Early Morning Home Invasion
According to witness reports, the ordeal began shortly after 7am on Monday when four masked men smashed into the family home. They tied the father to a chair and ventured upstairs to locate the mother and her young son. The suspects then demanded a transfer of $400,000 (approximately £295,000) in cryptocurrency, beating the father and threatening to mutilate him during the confrontation.
At least one of the intruders ransacked the property, stealing €10,000 (£8,600) in cash, jewellery, several silver ingots, and a rifle, which was used to threaten the terrified family members. The gang's plan, however, quickly unravelled when they discovered that the cryptocurrency transfer would require a seven-day waiting period.
Abduction and Police Response
Frustrated by the delay, the kidnappers decided to abduct the woman and child as security before fleeing the scene in two separate vehicles. The father eventually managed to free himself and alert a friend, who promptly contacted the authorities. Investigators were able to trace the victims' location after the father received videos showing his relatives being held captive in a hotel room.
Officers from the GIGN raided the hotel room the following day, arresting three men at the scene. Another four suspects were apprehended in the hours that followed, with a comprehensive police investigation still ongoing. French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez praised the gendarmerie investigators and the GIGN for their swift actions in locating and rescuing the victims.
Rising Trend of Crypto Kidnappings in France
This incident represents only the latest in a series of high-profile cryptocurrency-related kidnappings across France. Last month, a couple in their late 50s from Yvelines, a western suburb of Paris, were held at knifepoint by attackers wearing fake police uniforms and forced to transfer £800,000 in Bitcoin.
In May 2025, a 34-year-old woman and her two-year-old child were attacked in broad daylight in Paris by three masked men in a delivery van. The woman's boyfriend, who serves as a cryptocurrency exchange CEO, fought off the assailants, who eventually fled after a local shopkeeper intervened with a fire extinguisher.
Previous High-Profile Cases
One of the most shocking incidents occurred at the start of last year when David Balland, co-founder of the crypto hardware wallet firm Ledger, was abducted along with his wife. During his two-day ordeal, kidnappers severed his finger and sent a video of the mutilation to his business partner while demanding a €10 million (£8.6 million) ransom.
French authorities have attributed many of these so-called "wrench attacks" to overseas-based criminal kingpins who recruit youths from local gangs through messaging applications like Telegram. The pattern highlights growing concerns about the intersection of digital currency crimes and violent physical threats to individuals and families.
The investigation into this latest kidnapping continues as police work to uncover further details about the suspects and their connections to broader criminal networks targeting cryptocurrency holders.
