France arrests six suspects over crypto ransom kidnapping of magistrate

Six people have been detained after a French magistrate and her mother were abducted in a crypto ransom plot, intensifying concerns over a surge in violent “wrench attacks” in France.

French police have reportedly arrested six people, including a minor, over the kidnapping of a 35‑year‑old magistrate and her 67‑year‑old mother in a cryptocurrency‑linked ransom plot targeting the magistrate’s partner, a crypto entrepreneur. 

According to a France 24 report, citing the AFP, the magistrate’s partner received a photo of her and a threat to mutilate the hostages if a cryptocurrency payment was not made.

The two women were held for around 30 hours in a garage in the Drôme region before managing to raise the alarm and escape without any ransom being paid.

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