Overview

• The five suspects, aged 17 to 22, were arrested in Sarthe and Yvelines and charged with armed robbery, extortion, kidnapping, and aggravated violence.
• On December 31, 2024, armed assailants seized a couple at their Saint-Genis-Pouilly home and moved the 56-year-old father nearly 700 km before he was found by police.
• Investigators report the victim was beaten, doused with gasoline, and confined in a car trunk after ransom demands in cryptocurrency went unmet.
• Three of the adult detainees had prior convictions for violent offences, theft, and drug trafficking while the minor suspect faced a record for aggravated theft.
• Authorities have noted a rise in crypto-linked ransom kidnappings and are stepping up cooperation with industry groups to strengthen security and track illicit payments.