French police have arrested six individuals, including a minor, in connection with the kidnapping of a magistrate and her elderly mother in what investigators believe was a cryptocurrency-related extortion attempt.
French Magistrate Rescued After 30-Hour Crypto Ransom Ordeal: AFP
9 February 2026 - 15:36 CET
By Sandmark staff
Crypto kidnapping
The 35-year-old magistrate and her 67-year-old mother were abducted from their home earlier in the week, according to information from AFP published by local media. The two women were held captive for approximately 30 hours before being rescued from a garage in the southeastern Drôme region on Friday morning.
According to police sources cited in the media reports, the kidnappers targeted the victims because of the magistrate's partner, who holds a senior position at a cryptocurrency startup. The captors demanded payment in digital currency and allegedly threatened to mutilate the women if the ransom was not delivered quickly.
Attacks on the rise in France
France has been particularly hard-hit by this wave of crypto-associated violence. The country recorded 19 wrench attacks in 2025, leading all nations globally, according to data in the Certik Skynet 2025 Wrench Attacks report. (A wrench attack is a physical assault targeting digital asset holders). The report notes a 75% increase in these sorts of attacks in 2025 as compared to 2024, resulting in over $40 million in losses.
In January 2025, Ledger co-founder David Balland was kidnapped alongside his wife, and attackers severed his finger while demanding €10 million in cryptocurrency. Just months later, the father of a Malta-based crypto executive was held for 58 hours in Paris and similarly had a finger amputated by his captors.
