Twenty-five people, including six minors, were charged in Paris over a spate of kidnappings and attempted abductions in France's cryptocurrency world, said the city's public prosecutor office on Saturday, May 31.
"Eighteen people have been placed in pre-trial detention, three have requested a deferred hearing, and four have been placed under judicial supervision," the public prosecutor said, with the suspects between 16 and 23-years-old.
The investigation centers on a May 13 kidnapping attempt targeting the daughter and grandson of the chief executive officer of crypto firm Paymium, carried out in broad daylight in Paris' 11th arrondissement.
Prosecutors said the probe also covers "other unsuccessful plans," including an initial failed attempt on the same targets the day before, and a disrupted operation near the western city of Nantes on Monday.
Authorities said this week they had thwarted the Nantes abduction and detained more than 20 suspects in connection with that plot and another targeting crypto boss Pierre Noizat's pregnant daughter and grandson.
Footage of the attempted abduction that went viral on social media showed four masked men attacking Noizat's daughter, her husband and their child in the French capital's hip 11th district in mid-May. All three suffered light injuries and were taken to hospital.
The kidnappings and abduction attempts have become a major embarrassment for the French government and have sparked concern about the security of wealthy crypto tycoons, who have notched up immense fortunes from the booming business.