French police have arrested 12 suspects in connection with allegedly planning a cryptocurrency kidnapping scheme.

Police in Lyon, France, have arrested 12 suspects in connection with a cryptocurrency kidnapping that occurred last August. Approximately 150 armed police and military personnel raided a building near the Valence train station in the Drôme region on August 31, 2025, rescuing a 22-year-old Swiss man who had been kidnapped for four days. The kidnappers demanded a ransom in cryptocurrency, and the victim suffered severe abuse and harm during his captivity. Police stated that the arrests were the result of a months-long investigation, which has identified and implicated approximately 20 individuals. One mastermind and two others were arrested on the day of the operation, and seven more were arrested in early September, six of whom are between 24 and 30 years old, and one is under 18. Prosecutors have filed charges against the individuals, including kidnapping, unlawful detention, organized crime, extortion, illegal possession of weapons, and conspiracy. On March 2, police launched another large-scale operation, arresting 18 people, three of whom are currently in custody. In addition, Versailles police are pursuing three suspects who impersonated police officers and robbed a couple of $1 million worth of Bitcoin at knifepoint. Between July 2023 and the end of 2025, French police handled 40 cryptocurrency-related kidnapping cases.