In a chilling escalation of organized crime in France, David Balland, co-founder of the cryptocurrency platform Ledger, was abducted alongside his wife on January 21 in their home in Méreau. In a horrifying bid to extort €1 million in ransom, kidnappers severed Balland’s finger before authorities intervened.
The couple’s ordeal began when they were forced into vehicles and later separated, with the criminals frequently moving their locations to avoid detection. The wife was discovered tied up in a vehicle in Étampes two days later, unharmed but deeply traumatized. Balland, however, required hospitalization due to his injuries.
Elite GIGN special forces mounted a large-scale operation, using helicopters and phone data to track the victims. General Ghislain Réty described Balland as “extremely shocked” upon his rescue but confirmed the mission proceeded “smoothly” with no injuries among law enforcement.
Authorities apprehended ten suspects, aged 20 to 40, all of whom were already known to police. A portion of the ransom, paid in cryptocurrency, was traced and seized. The investigation, led by the Jurisdiction for the Fight Against Organized Crime (Junalco), is ongoing, with charges including “kidnapping and sequestration by an organized gang” and “extortion with a weapon.”
While the identities of the perpetrators remain undisclosed, similar crimes in the past have often involved gangs of North African or Middle Eastern origin, some even recruiting teens via social media.
This harrowing incident highlights a growing trend of home invasions and kidnappings targeting affluent individuals in France, with celebrities, athletes, and media figures increasingly falling prey. Despite Balland’s rescue, the incident serves as a grim reminder of the evolving sophistication of criminal networks in the country.
