Overview

• Prosecutors in Lyon said seven suspects — six adults and a 17-year-old — were charged and detained after questioning by investigating magistrates on Sept. 4.
• The victim was abducted on Aug. 28 and freed on Aug. 31 in Valence during a GIGN raid that mobilised about 150 gendarmes.
• Prosecutors said the kidnappers demanded the ransom be paid in cryptocurrency.
• Swiss police said the episode may stem from a dispute over digital assets and that they alerted French authorities after an anonymous tip the day after the abduction, adding the victim was seriously beaten.
• Security experts say France has seen a run of crypto-related kidnappings in 2025, with at least 10 “wrench attacks” tracked this year.