Gate News message, April 25 — France’s organized crime prosecution office (PNACO) reported that 135 cryptocurrency-related kidnapping or attempted kidnapping cases have been recorded in the country since 2023. Among the 12 cases currently under investigation, 88 individuals have been formally charged, including more than 10 minors, with approximately 75 detained pending trial.
Data shows a sharp increase in cases: 18 cases in 2024, 67 in 2025, and 47 so far in 2026. PNACO attributed the rise to judicial consolidation of previously scattered cases in response to rapidly evolving crime patterns linked to cryptocurrency assets.
PNACO stated that such criminal trends are closely linked to increased cryptocurrency adoption and have become a significant new form of organized crime in France.
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