Twelve people have been indicted in Lyon, France, in connection with the kidnapping and hostage-taking of a young Swiss man last summer, during which the captors demanded a ransom in cryptocurrency, the Gendarmerie said. The 22-year-old Swiss man, from the canton of Vaud, was kidnapped last summer in undisclosed circumstances, according to the Gendarmerie. He was held hostage from August 28 to 31 before being freed near Valence train station during an operation by the GIGN, the elite tactical unit of the French Gendarmerie.
Swiss police said the victim was 'seriously mistreated and injured' during his captivity. Three of the twelve suspects have been placed in pre-trial detention and the other nine under judicial supervision, the Gendarmerie reported. A total of 19 suspects have been indicted in this case, including a 17-year-old minor who was imprisoned this summer.
that a ransom be paid to them in cryptocurrency for his release
The twelve new indictments follow 18 arrests made on Monday, March 2 in Île-de-France and Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. ' The exact amount of the ransom has not been disclosed. This case is part of a broader pattern of crypto-related kidnappings in France.
Last week, a woman and her 11-year-old son were kidnapped in French Burgundy, with a ransom demand in cryptocurrency. Over 100 police officers intervened, freeing the victims and arresting seven men. A few days earlier, a kidnapping occurred in the city of Anglet, where five perpetrators searched for a crypto investor and stole jewelry, computers, and phones.
seriously mistreated and injured
The perpetrators in Anglet were later arrested and appear to have taken the wrong person. It remains unclear whether these three cases are connected.