French police arrest six after botched crypto ransom attempt in magistrate kidnapping: AFP

French authorities have arrested six individuals in connection with the apparent abduction of a magistrate and her mother, during which the captors allegedly demanded a cryptocurrency ransom and threatened physical mutilation, according to AFP.

The arrests followed a 30-hour ordeal that ended when the victims escaped without any ransom being paid, AFP reported on Sunday.

The 35-year-old magistrate and her 67-year-old mother were found injured in a garage in the Drome region on Friday morning, according to Lyon prosecutor Thierry Dran. In a press conference Friday, Dran said the magistrate’s partner, who was not home during the abduction, holds a leadership role at a cryptocurrency startup, according to the report.

The kidnapping unfolded overnight from Wednesday to Thursday, the report said. The magistrate's partner received a text message containing a photo of her and a demand for a ransom in cryptocurrency.

Dran said the captors threatened to mutilate the victims if the ransom was not paid swiftly, but declined to disclose the amount demanded. The magistrate and her mother ultimately freed themselves by making noise inside the garage in Bourg-lès-Valence, attracting the attention of a neighbor who opened the door and helped them escape, Dran added.

Four men and one woman were detained, with three arrested overnight and two on Sunday morning. The prosecutor later confirmed that a minor was arrested on Sunday afternoon. 

Crypto-linked kidnappings

French law enforcement has handled multiple recent abductions and extortion cases involving families of people active in cryptocurrency.

In January 2025, kidnappers abducted Ledger co-founder David Balland and his partner. AFP reported that Balland's attackers severed one of his fingers and sought a ransom. He was released the next day, while his partner was later found bound in a car trunk outside Paris. Ledger was valued at more than $1 billion at the time, according to the report.

In May, four hooded men kidnapped the father of a man who operated a Malta-based cryptocurrency company in Paris. The report said the victim also had a finger severed and that several million euros were demanded. He was freed 58 hours later during a police raid.

The cases have drawn responses from senior officials. French interior minister said in May last year that he would meet cryptocurrency industry leaders to address a rise in wrench attacks following a high-profile attempted kidnapping earlier that month.

An alleged organizer of multiple crypto-related kidnappings was arrested in Morocco in June, a month after the minister's statement. The suspect, identified by French outlet Le Parisien as a 24-year-old French-Moroccan citizen, was detained in Tangier after an Interpol red notice. Authorities have linked him to several abduction and extortion cases, including incidents targeting crypto executives and their families.