Suspected Leader Behind French Crypto Kidnappings Captured in Morocco

By: Chioma Madonna Ndukwu

Moroccan police have arrested a 24-year-old Franco-Moroccan man accused of leading a string of kidnappings and attempted abductions targeting cryptocurrency figures in France.

The suspect, Badiss Mohamed Amide Bajjou, was apprehended in the city of Tangier following an international alert issued by France through Interpol. He was wanted on multiple charges, including kidnapping, unlawful confinement, and hostage-taking.

According to Moroccan authorities, the arrest was carried out by the General Directorate for National Security, and the operation was publicly reported by the state-run news agency MAP.

Bajjou is believed to have played a key role in the January abduction of David Balland, a prominent French crypto entrepreneur and co-founder of the digital assets company Ledger. Balland was seriously injured during the incident, with one of his fingers cut off as his captors demanded a ransom.

The French justice system recently charged 25 suspects — including six minors — in connection with the broader wave of abductions, which have stirred alarm among the country’s tech and financial elite. The French government has since moved to address concerns over the safety of cryptocurrency executives.

In a statement posted on social media, French Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin welcomed the arrest and credited the close judicial collaboration between France and Morocco.

The rise in attacks on crypto business figures has drawn warnings from industry insiders, some of whom have expressed fears of escalating violence and criminal activity mirroring trends seen in other regions.