Overview

• French-Moroccan national Badiss Mohamed Amide Bajjou was detained in Tangier under an Interpol red notice for alleged roles in kidnapping cryptocurrency entrepreneurs
• At arrest, Moroccan police seized multiple bladed weapons, dozens of mobile phones and cash suspected to fund ransom demands
• French authorities have charged 25 individuals, including six minors, over abductions such as the January kidnapping of Ledger co-founder David Balland, who had a finger severed
• Investigators link the plot to organized crime networks that recruit youths online and say it reflects a global rise in “wrench attacks” on crypto holders
• With another alleged ringleader still at large, the French government has held emergency meetings with industry leaders and pledged enhanced protection for high-net-worth crypto executives