Sequestration linked to cryptocurrencies near Rennes: Four suspects aged 17 to 20 arrested

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This case dates back to August 22 when several individuals broke into a home before kidnapping and assaulting the family present. They then fled, without having found the man they were looking for.

According to Ouest-France, which reports new progress in the investigation, the four suspects are mainly domiciled in the Paris region and in Montpellier. Their arrest resulted from an operation carried out by the Rennes research section and research brigade, with the support of other gendarmerie units.

The Rennes public prosecutor, Frédéric Teillet, announced on November 5 that the four people had admitted to having participated in the expedition during their police custody.

Presented to an investigating magistrate on November 4, the suspects were indicted. The prosecution had requested their placement in pre-trial detention and three of them have already been subject to this measure. The fourth remains temporarily incarcerated, awaiting a hearing announced for the beginning of the following week.

The national gendarmerie confirms these elements and specifies that the investigation falls under the specialized interregional jurisdiction of Rennes, competent in particular in matters of organized crime.

The address targeted in August was to lead the attackers to the owner of the home, presented by Ouest-France as a holder of cryptocurrencies. However, he was absent. Those present suffered confinement and violence before the group realized their mistake and left the scene.

The investigations relate in particular to acts of kidnapping, theft and attempted theft, extortion and attempted extortion by an organized gang, as well as participation in a criminal association.

According to the prosecution, two indictees have criminal records, particularly for property crimes. A third is already the subject of judicial review in another case of violence. The prosecutor indicates that the alleged facts expose the suspects to 20 years of imprisonment, as well as fines and additional penalties.

These arrests constitute the legal outcome of the attack, without closing the case. The information made public still does not specify how the attackers obtained the address or identified their target. The case reminds us that relatives and occupants of housing associated with a holder of cryptocurrencies can also be subject to these attacks. And this happens far too often in our dear country.

With a background in literature and languages, I like to combine rigorous analysis with a taste for ideas to decipher the major economic and (geo)political issues linked to cryptocurrencies. Since 2021, I have been writing for Journal du Coin where I focus on subjects such as , MNBC, the tokenization of RWA and more broadly the strategic mutations of Web3. A passionate reader, curious about the world and the power relationships that structure it, I strive to make these themes accessible to all, with particular attention to projects designed for the general public.

Machine-translated from French