French police rescued the father of a crypto billionaire who they say was abducted by people seeking ransom.
CNN and France 24 reported that police rescued the man, who was not identified by authorities, from a home in a Paris suburb on Saturday, May 3.
BFM TV reported that while the man was rescued alive, the kidnappers allegedly severed his finger.
The outlet further reported that the kidnappers contacted the victim’s son, who has made billions in cryptocurrency, and sent him a video of his father.
France 24 reported that the man was abducted in Paris on Thursday, May 1.
Citing a police source, AFP reported that four men wearing ski masks took the victim in a delivery van.
The kidnappers allegedly demanded between 5 million and 7 million euros, Le Parisien reported.
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CNN reported that the Paris prosecutor’s office announced that five people between the ages of 23 and 27 were taken into custody.
Le Parisien reported that the kidnapping bore similarity to the January kidnapping of David Balland, cofounder of a crypto company.
Balland and his partner were released after 48 hours and the former was found with a mutilated hand.
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