David Balland, co-founder of crypto wallet developer Ledger, and his wife were kidnapped in a ransom attack in central France, with Balland injured during the attack.
Balland and his partner were rescued by authorities in an operation Wednesday night. After a coordinated operation in Chateauroux
Ledger co-founder rescued
David Balland and his partner were abducted from their home in the early hours of Tuesday in a planned attack in the city centre. France- The kidnappers are holding them captive in two locations. It then contacted another Ledger co-founder to demand ransom in cryptocurrency. The pair were rescued after a police operation involving French elite forces. GIGN released Ballard on Wednesday and his wife on Thursday. According to a statement from the French authorities Ballard was taken to the hospital for treatment after injuring one of his hands during the kidnapping. Authorities said some of the ransom had been paid but was tracked down and seized, Paris prosecutor Laure Beccau said.
“Some of the ransom has been paid. Almost all were tracked down, frozen and seized. Ten people were detained, nine men and one woman, aged between 20 and 40, most of whom already knew the law.”
Pascal Gauthier, Chairman and CEO of Ledger, also issued a statement saying:
“We are extremely relieved that David and his wife have been released. And now it’s safe.”
Crypto Traders and Industry Figures Targeted
News of the kidnapping came after rumors spread on social media that one of Ledger’s founders had been kidnapped. According to unconfirmed reports, Eric Larchevêque was the victim. However, this turned out to be false. Gauthier said at the time that
“Our top priority is to allow law enforcement to do their job and protect the integrity of the investigation. We respect law enforcement requests to protect important details of ongoing investigations. And I admire members of the media who do the same.”
This incident is part of an alarming trend of kidnappings and robberies targeting crypto traders and industry figures. As the bull market peaked, Dean Skurka, CEO of WonderFi, a publicly traded crypto holding company, Kidnapped in Toronto last year, Skurka paid a $720,000 ransom before he was released by his kidnappers. Blockchain investigators ZachXBT talk about the increase in thefts targeting cryptocurrencies. person in digital currency, stating that
“It has seen an increase in irl (real life) thefts targeting crypto traders based in Western Europe in recent months. All of the cases involved individuals known to the crypto community where they were detained at gunpoint. while the rest of the cycle continues. Special consideration should be given to who you share your victories with and meet with. (in real life)”
Disclaimer: This article is provided for informational purposes only. It is not offered or intended to be used as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice.
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