A French-Moroccan national is suspected of being «one of the masterminds» behind a series of kidnappings targeting figures in the cryptocurrency sector in France this year. According to Le Parisien, the 40-year-old man is believed to be in Morocco and is described as a key link in a unique and sprawling criminal network. For months, the dual national allegedly recruited «young, ultra-violent, and reckless executors» online to carry out these kidnappings, two of which involved victims having their fingers cut off. His identity was uncovered through transaction analysis during the investigation into the January 21 kidnapping and mutilation of David Balland near Vierzon (Cher). Balland, co-founder of the cryptocurrency company Ledger, was abducted by individuals who demanded a ransom of nearly ten million euros in Bitcoin from his associates. Three million euros were transferred to digital wallets, and tracing these funds led investigators to the suspected mastermind. As part of the probe, around twenty suspects were arrested in Paris on Monday and Tuesday. A target list found during a search has further strengthened the theory of a large, organized network, one that appears to trace back to the same dual national, considered a potential ringleader. Le Parisien reports that the suspect is «not acting alone» and is linked to several other cases beyond Balland's. These include the «bloody kidnapping and sequestration of D.B.», the father of a young online poker player who made a fortune in cryptocurrency, on May 1 in Paris's 14th arrondissement, and the attempted, filmed, kidnapping of C.N., the daughter of a prominent cryptocurrency exchange CEO, twelve days later in the 11th arrondissement. The suspect is also allegedly connected to a thwarted kidnapping plot in Couëron, near Nantes (Loire-Atlantique), targeting another individual in the cryptocurrency sector.
