Nieuw-Vennep crypto kidnapping case leads to charges against three men

Dutch prosecutors have charged three men in connection with a May 1 kidnapping, physical abuse and extortion of a man in Nieuw‑Vennep over a cryptocurrency dispute. The victim was allegedly held in a car, taken to a forested area, forced to strip, threatened with a firearm and threatened that his eyes would be gouged out and his fingers cut off. Video screenshots show the victim being urinated on and threatened with public release unless he paid roughly €60,000 (about $69,000).

One suspect, identified as 24‑year‑old Younes B., a martial‑arts instructor, denied the firearm threat and described the crypto arrangement as a “pyramid scheme” he had fallen for. The Public Prosecution Service noted that Dutch law allows up to 12 years imprisonment for joint extortion involving severe violence and up to 15 years for hostage‑taking. The case was heard in an Amsterdam court, with the next hearing scheduled for 8 September. B. expressed remorse during the proceedings, and the court has ordered his release on probation pending further hearings.