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[SITUATION] · [QUIET] · [CRIME]
2 clusters · 5 sources · 6 days · First seen · Last updated
Cryptocurrency-related violent crime in France
Overview
France has seen an increase in violent crimes targeting cryptocurrency holdings, including home invasions, extortions, and kidnappings orchestrated by criminal syndicates. Reports indicate approximately 90 Bitcoin-related attacks occurred over a seven-month period, including incidents where armed individuals broke into residences to demand access to digital wallets.
The French National Anti-Organized Crime Prosecutor's Office (Pnaco) has recorded 135 kidnappings or sequestrations linked to cryptocurrency since 2023. This total includes 88 formal investigations and 75 instances of pretrial detention. Data shows a rising trend, with 67 cases reported in 2025 and 47 in the first four months of 2026.
While authorities have identified structured networks, judicial outcomes remain limited. To date, only five significant decisions have been rendered, all against low-level executors, and no mastermind or perpetrator of a kidnapping for ransom has been convicted in France regarding this specific wave of crimes.
Entities
France · National Prosecutor’s Office for Organized Crime · JUNALCO · French interior ministry · Parquet national anticriminalité organisée
Timeline
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[CRIME] 3 sourcesFrance reports 135 cryptocurrency-related kidnappings since 2023
French authorities have recorded 135 cryptocurrency-related kidnappings since 2023, though convictions have so far only targeted low-level executors rather than masterminds.
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[CRIME] 3 sourcesFrance sees rise in violent cryptocurrency-related attacks
France has seen a surge in violent crimes, including kidnappings and home invasions, specifically targeting cryptocurrency holders and digital wallets.
Sources
actu.fr · cryptobreaking.com · journalducoin.com · objectifgard.com · occrp.org