French prosecutors have formally charged 25 people, some as young as 16, in connection with a series of attempted abductions aimed at the figures of the crypto industry and their families.
According to local media, the accusations Follow a series of controversial kidnapping plots that have shaken the growing digital assetcommunity in France.
The suspects, between the ages of 16 and 23, are supposed to be linked to coordinated efforts to abduct persons with ties with cryptocurrency richness, often with the help of stolen vehicles and fake courier branding to perform the attacks.
Central to the last charges is the widespread attempted attempt until 13 May in Paris, where masked attackers attacked the daughter and grandson of Paymium CEO Pierre Noizat.
The attack took place in the 11th district in broad daylight and was caught on video, which later circulated online. All three victims suffered minor injuries and were treated in a hospital.
Authorities say that this incident was part of a broader conspiracy with other failed attempts, including a similar plot the day before and shortly thereafter a separate operation near Nantes.
Of the 25 charged, 18 are now in before the trial, four are under court supervision and three have asked for delayed hearings.
Allegedly the suspects come from different backgrounds, with many born in the area of Paris and others from places such as Senegal, Angola, Russia and Châtellerault.
Defense lawyers have characterized some of the accused as vulnerable young people who are attracted to criminal activities with promises of fast money, not aware of the seriousness of the crimes.
The investigation became strength after mass arrests on 27 May, when the French police expressed coordinated raids on Île-de-France and Loire-Atlantique.
The operations were led by the Brigade de Répression du Banditism, the specialized anti-gang unit of France, and focused on dismantling a network that is said to be behind several crypto-related abduction schemes.
French officials believe that these incidents can be connected to a criminal organization that recruits employees through social media to perform abductions with a high risk. Researchers say that the foot soldiers and logistics handlers arrested so far still seem to be, with the brain in general.
As previously reported by crypto.news, the French Minister of the Interior met Bruno Retailleeau in mid-May the digital assets industry to discuss security measures.
