On June 4, 2025, it was reported that Badiss Mohamed Amide Bajjou, a 24 – year – old French – Moroccan dual – national, was arrested in Tangier, Morocco. He is suspected of being the mastermind behind a series of kidnappings of cryptocurrency entrepreneurs in France and is wanted by Interpol for “kidnapping, illegal detention of hostages” and other charges.
The arrest comes after months of cross – border cooperation between French and Moroccan authorities. The wave of attacks began in January this year, when David Balland, the co – founder of the French cryptocurrency hardware wallet company Ledger, was kidnapped from his home along with his partner. The kidnappers demanded a ransom of €10 million in cryptocurrency and severed Balland’s finger.
Only weeks later, the father of a crypto investor was kidnapped in Paris. The attackers filmed themselves cutting off his finger and sent the footage to his son along with a ransom demand of up to €7 million. On May 13, the daughter and grandson of Paymium CEO Pierre Noizat were targeted in a daylight abduction attempt on a Paris street, but the kidnappers were thwarted by family members and passers – by.
French prosecutors have charged 25 people, including minors, in connection with these attacks. The arrest of Bajjou is seen as a major blow to the criminal ring, and France will seek his extradition so that he can face multiple charges related to his actions.
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