Moroccan police have arrested Badiss Mohamed Amide Bajjou, a 24-year-old French-Moroccan national accused of masterminding a series of high-profile kidnappings targeting cryptocurrency executives in France. The arrest marks a major breakthrough in an ongoing investigation into violent extortion schemes against crypto industry leaders.
Bajjou was apprehended on June 4 in the northern city of Tangier in a joint operation led by Morocco’s National Brigade of the Judicial Police and the General Directorate for Territorial Surveillance, acting on a 2023 Interpol red notice issued at the request of French authorities. According to local media, he was found in possession of several bladed weapons, multiple mobile phones, encrypted communication devices, and a significant sum of cash suspected to be tied to criminal activity.
Authorities allege Bajjou played a key role in the January kidnapping of David Balland, co-founder of the French crypto wallet firm Ledger. The attack was reportedly gruesome, with Balland being tortured and one of his fingers severed to extort millions in cryptocurrency. French prosecutors believe Bajjou coordinated this attack along with others targeting the families of crypto executives.
The arrest comes amid a broader investigation into a growing trend of crypto-related kidnappings in France. On May 13, masked men attempted to abduct the daughter and grandson of Pierre Noizat, CEO of Paymium, in central Paris. Just ten days earlier, the father of another crypto entrepreneur was rescued after being held captive for several days in a ransom plot demanding €7 million in crypto.
In response, French authorities have ramped up security measures for crypto professionals, including emergency police access, surveillance enhancements, and home security audits. A major turning point occurred on May 27, when French anti-gang units raided multiple locations across Île-de-France and Loire-Atlantique, arresting over a dozen suspects.
By May 31, a total of 25 individuals had been formally charged, some as young as 16. Investigators believe these individuals were part of a decentralized but well-organized network, recruited via social media, that carried out surveillance, logistics, and the physical abductions using stolen vehicles and fake courier disguises.
Bajjou’s arrest is expected to lead to further developments as authorities continue dismantling the network behind this wave of crypto-targeted violence. For the latest updates on this developing story and more crypto news, visit TheCoinInfo.
