A 24-year-old Moroccan national, suspected of orchestrating abductions aimed primarily at French crypto entrepreneurs, has been taken into custody in Morocco.
Moroccan National Charged with Hostage Detention in Crypto Kidnapping Case
Moroccan authorities arrested Badiss Mohamed Amide Bajjou, a 24-year-old accused of orchestrating kidnappings targeting French cryptocurrency magnates. Acting on a request from French officials, police captured Bajjou in the northern city of Tangier. He also faces charges of unlawful detention and hostage-taking.
Le Monde reports that authorities suspect Bajjou of planning the January abduction of Ledger co-founder David Balland and his partner. French investigators are now examining the French-Moroccan citizen’s role in a failed kidnapping attempt targeting the daughter of crypto entrepreneur Pierre Noizat, her husband, and their child.
According to Bitcoin.com News, the attempt by the group of masked individuals to kidnap Noizat’s daughter was ultimately unsuccessful. However, this incident—alongside additional cases involving the abduction of cryptocurrency entrepreneurs—prompted the French authorities to begin extending enhanced security measures to these individuals and their families.
French Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin praised the Moroccan authorities for making the arrest, noting that it reflected the strong and effective cooperation between the two nations.
Darmanin expressed gratitude to Morocco for the arrest, highlighting it as a clear example of the strong judicial collaboration between the two countries, especially in tackling organized crime.
According to a Le Monde report, French authorities are actively searching for another Moroccan man in his 40s who they believe participated in the abductions. The report also states that the duo used online platforms to recruit individuals to carry out the kidnappings.
French officials arrested Bajjou after they had already charged around 25 individuals suspected of taking part in the abductions or managing logistics. The group consisted of suspects born in France as well as individuals from Angola, Russia, and Senegal.
