The Australian billionaire Tim Heath escaped a planned kidnapping in Estonia after a group of attackers tried to squeeze his digital assets into a coordinated operation.
According to Local mediaHeath had to physically fight his attackers against his attackers during the ambush, biting the finger of one attacker to loosen himself and withdraw to safety.
Heath, an old crypto investor originally from Victoria, founded Yolo Group, based in Estonia, which is active worldwide in the fintech, blockchain and online gambling sectors. He has been living in Tallinn for almost two decades and has an estimated assets of more than 2.2 billion Australian dollars.
The attempted kidnapping took place in the night of July 29, 2023, in the stairwell of the Heath apartment building in the old town of Tallinn. Two men who posed while painters lured him in an ambush when he entered the building and tried to force him in a waiting van.
During the attack, one of the attackers, a former Greek-Roman wrestler, reportedly put his hand over the mouth of Heath in an attempt to silence him. Heath responded by biting the man’s index finger and managed to break free and withdrawing into his apartment.
The court heard that part of the severed finger was later restored to the street, about 100 meters from the stage. The attackers fled the scene shortly thereafter and left a white van with forged documents and aids that would be used in the schedule.
Researchers claim that the kidnapping was part of a larger plot by a seven-member group, and attackers had followed Heath’s movements for weeks followed by a GPS device on his vehicle and via personal supervision.
Allegedly, they arrived Estonia with the help of forged Georgian passports after travel through Paris and Finland, arriving in Tallinn days before the attempted kidnapping. According to judicial documents, the group of painting uniforms, cable tires, tape and other materials from local hardware stores acquired in preparation for the ambush.
Attackers were planning to transport Heath to a rented sauna house and forcing him to forced cryptocurrency companies. A hacker was also recruited to help extract the funds.
Two of the suspects, Azerbaijani National Allahverdi Allahverdiyev and Georgian citizen Ilgar Mamedov, are currently right in Estonia. In the meantime, three other suspects are not identified, and two, including the alleged organizer, Najaf Najafli, are being sought by the police.
Weeks after the failed kidnapping, Heath reportedly received a message via Telegram that demanded 30 Bitcoin. The message contained photos that were taken outside his home.
Although no further contact followed after he had ignored the question, prosecutors say that the threat can continue to exist. Heath has changed homes since then, increased personal safety and has spent more than € 2.7 million on protection, whereby his legal team is now looking for a refund of the accused.
Crypto -kidnapping cases rise
In recent months, various high-profile kidnapping cases have made crypto investors worldwide. In one case of May, two crypto investors in Manhattan were arrested for holding an Italian man who trapped for 17 days in a luxury mansion in an attempt to gain access to his Bitcoin portion.
Another incident was reported in Florida, where three teenagers were accused of kidnapping and robbing a crypto event host of $ 4 million in digital assets and NFTs.
In particular, France has witnessed an increase in the activity of crypto avoidance. Earlier this year, the police intervened in a separate case with the mutilation of the father of a crypto investor and the attempted kidnapping of the daughter of an Exchange CEO established in Paris. Both incidents were reduced to the same network.
Since then, authorities in France have arrested several suspects, including a man who is supposed to be the leader who was caught in Morocco.
