TechFlow News, March 16: According to DL News, police in France’s Île-de-France region arrested two teenagers (aged 15 and 17) and a 35-year-old man on suspicion of carrying out two armed kidnappings targeting cryptocurrency holders in the Île-de-France region on March 10.
According to reports, the first incident occurred in Essonne, a southern suburb of Paris. Suspects wearing masks and carrying small explosive devices attempted to break into the residence of a cryptocurrency holder but failed. Approximately 30 minutes later, a second incident took place in Seine-et-Marne, where suspects successfully entered the home of a female cryptocurrency holder, kidnapped her family members, and stole jewelry. It remains undisclosed whether cryptocurrency assets were also stolen.
Police subsequently tracked the suspects’ vehicle and deployed approximately 100 armed special police officers and two police helicopters in a pursuit lasting about six hours before intercepting the vehicle and recovering the stolen jewelry inside. The public prosecutor has filed charges against the three individuals for extortion, organized crime, armed robbery, property damage, and kidnapping. The 17-year-old suspect and the 35-year-old man are currently in pre-trial detention, while the 15-year-old is under judicial supervision. The public prosecutor has appealed this decision.
