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Per the latest crypto news, France is facing a rising incident of cryptocurrency-related kidnappings. The country’s national anti-organized crime prosecutor confirmed 135 incidents since 2023 and 88 individuals charged across 12 ongoing cases.
The figures were released on April 24, 2026, by Vanessa Perrée of France’s National Prosecutor’s Office for Anti-Organized Crime.
Telegram founder Pavel Durov separately weighed in on April 25. He linked the crimes directly to government tax data leaks that he argued placed crypto holders at risk.
Crypto News: France Records 135 Crypto Kidnappings Since 2023
The scale of the incidents has grown year over year. French authorities recorded 18 crypto-related kidnapping cases in 2024. Moving ahead, 67 in 2025, and 47 in the first months of 2026 alone followed it.
These crimes typically involve abduction or unlawful detention where the victims are subjected to violence and forced into transferring cryptocurrency. Of the 88 individuals charged, more than 10 are minors. Seventy-five suspects have been placed in pretrial detention.
Crypto news recently reported that three men aged 25 to 30 were arrested in Challes-les-Eaux, Savoie. The Chambéry gendarmerie research section carried out the arrests. The case involves a November 2025 kidnapping linked to crypto.
Two of the three suspects face additional charges in a separate December 2025 case in Dompierre-sur-Mer. This was where the three hooded individuals kidnapped and assaulted a couple. They forced them to transfer approximately 8 million euros in cryptocurrency.
The rise in France’s crypto news can be traced back to January 2025. At that time, Ledger co-founder David Balland and his partner were kidnapped. Balland was eventually released, and his partner was found tied up in a vehicle.
Crypto news: Pavel Durov Links Kidnappings to Tax Data Leaks
Durov posted on X that 41 kidnappings targeting crypto holders had happened in France in the first 3.5 months of the year.
Durov attributed the crimes to two related factors: a French tax official identified as Ghalia C. who allegedly sold crypto owners’ data to criminals, and broader mass tax database leaks.
Durov also pointed to a separate breach of France’s Agency for Secure Documents. He disclosed it in an April 21 post. He stated that the hack exposed the names, addresses, emails, and phone numbers of 19 million people.
Per the crypto news, Telegram’s founder warned that future leaks could have far worse consequences. He said this risk would rise if the French government gained access to encrypted chats. He also cautioned against allowing social media platforms to share Digital IDs.
Structured Networks and Repeat Offenders Drive France’s Response
Perrée’s statement acknowledged the organized nature of the criminal activity. Her office pointed to repeated involvement of the same individuals across multiple kidnapping cases.
The National Prosecutor’s Office for Anti-Organized Crime committed to strengthening criminal justice responses across France. It acted in response to the scale of the offenses and their rise since 2025.
They cited close cooperation between the Central Office for Combating Organized Crime and the National Judicial Police Unit of the Gendarmerie. This cooperation strengthened their fight against organized crime.
