French police arrest five over crypto-linked magistrate kidnapping

LYON – The French authorities have arrested five suspects after a magistrate and her mother were held captive for around 30 hours in a cryptocurrency ransom plot, prosecutors said on Feb 8.

Four men and one woman were detained, three overnight and two on Feb 8 morning, Lyon prosecutor Thierry Dran told AFP.

The individuals were taken into custody after the 35-year-old magistrate and her 67-year-old mother were discovered injured in a garage in the south-eastern Drome region on the morning of Feb 6.

Two of those arrested overnight were caught trying to board a bus to Spain, according to a source close to the case who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The authorities continue to actively search for additional suspects, a second source close to the case said, adding that the woman in custody is the partner of one of the four male suspects.

During a press conference on Feb 6 after the pair’s escape, prosecutor Dran said the magistrate’s partner, who was not at home when the two victims were abducted overnight from Feb 4 to 5, has a leading position in a cryptocurrency start-up.

A massive police search involving 160 officers was launched after the magistrate’s partner received a message and a photo of her from the kidnappers, who demanded a ransom to be paid in cryptocurrency.

The captors threatened to mutilate the victims if the transfer was not made quickly, Mr Dran told reporters, declining to specify the amount demanded.

But the two women managed to free themselves and call for help by banging on the garage door.

“Alerted by the noise, a neighbour intervened. He was able to open the door and allow our two victims to escape,” Mr Dran said.

They were rescued on the morning of Feb 6 in Bourg-les-Valence without any ransom being paid, the prosecutor said.

Crypto-linked kidnappings

The French authorities have been dealing with a string of kidnappings and extortion attempts targeting the families of wealthy individuals dealing in cryptocurrencies.

In January 2025, kidnappers seized French crypto executive David Balland and his partner. Mr Balland co-founded the crypto firm Ledger, which at the time was valued at more than US$1 billion (S$1.27 billion).

Mr Balland’s kidnappers cut off his finger and demanded a hefty ransom. He was freed the next day, while his girlfriend was found tied up in the boot of a car outside Paris.

In May, the father of a man who ran a Malta-based cryptocurrency company was kidnapped by four hooded men in Paris.

The victim, whose finger was also severed by the kidnappers and for whom a ransom of several million euros was demanded, was released 58 hours later in a raid by the security forces. AFP