A high-profile criminal case has unfolded in the Drôme department of southeastern France, involving the abduction of a judicial official and his mother.
Operative Information Center-OMM, citing local media reports, informs that a judge and his mother were kidnapped by a criminal gang specializing in cryptocurrency-related extortion.
The perpetrators contacted the judge's spouse, demanding a ransom in cryptocurrency in exchange for their release.
A large-scale operation involving nearly 200 police officers was launched following the incident. As a result of the search efforts, the judge and his mother were discovered injured at a train station in the town of Bourg-lès-Valence. The victims were immediately transported to a hospital for medical treatment, while law enforcement intensified measures to apprehend the suspects.
According to an official statement from the Lyon Prosecution Office, operations conducted on February 7 and 8 led to the detention of six suspects, including four men, one woman, and one minor. By court order, all six individuals have been placed under arrest.
Investigative authorities noted that the probe has been expanded. Law enforcement agencies are currently examining potential links between this gang and other kidnapping or extortion attempts targeting wealthy individuals involved in cryptocurrency transactions. This incident highlights a growing trend in Europe where criminal organizations leverage the anonymity of digital assets to facilitate ransom payments and money laundering, posing new challenges for international security and judicial systems.
