French authorities have arrested six individuals in connection with the violent kidnapping of a magistrate and her mother, confirming the physical security crisis facing crypto executives has not abated. Lyon prosecutor Thierry Dran confirmed the suspects, including one minor, were taken into custody Sunday following a 160-officer manhunt.
The 35-year-old magistrate and her 67-year-old mother were abducted from their home in Isère last Wednesday. Their target? The magistrate’s partner, a senior executive at a cryptocurrency startup. The kidnappers demanded a ransom in digital assets, sending a photo of the hostages and threatening mutilation if payment was not instant.
The Rescue and Arrests
The ordeal lasted 30 hours. The victims were discovered injured but alive in a garage in Bourg-lès-Valence, Dran stated. They were not released; they escaped. The two women made enough noise to alert a neighbor, who breached the garage door and intervened. No ransom was paid.
Alerted by the noise, a neighbor intervened. He was able to open the door and allow our two victims to escape.
Police moved fast. Two suspects were intercepted attempting to board a bus to Spain. Three others were seized in overnight raids, with a sixth suspect, a minor, arrested Sunday afternoon.
The ‘Wrench Attack’ Epidemic
This is not an isolated event. It is a structural risk. France has become a hotspot for physical crypto extortion. In January 2025, reports surfaced of the kidnapping of Ledger co-founder David Balland, who was held for ransom and physically maimed. Security firm CertiK noted a 75% surge in these “wrench attacks” in 2025 alone, with criminals bypassing on-chain security by targeting the human element.
The methodology is consistent: surveillance, kidnapping, and the demand for immediate, irreversible crypto transfers. For industry leaders, the message is clear. Physical security is no longer secondary to private key management. It is the private key.
