Gate News News, March 11th, Lyon police in France have arrested 12 individuals suspected of plotting a cryptocurrency kidnapping in August of last year. On August 31, 2025, approximately 150 armed police raided a building near the train station in Valence, Drôme region, rescuing a 22-year-old Swiss man who had been kidnapped for four days. The kidnappers demanded ransom in cryptocurrency, and the victim was subjected to torture and serious injuries during captivity. Police stated that this arrest was the result of months of investigation, which has identified and linked about 20 people. On the day of the operation, one main perpetrator and two others were arrested; in early September, an additional 7 people were detained, including 6 aged 24 to 30 and 1 under 18. The prosecutor's office has charged these individuals with kidnapping, illegal detention, organized crime, extortion, illegal possession of weapons, and conspiracy to commit a crime. On March 2nd, police carried out another large-scale operation, arresting 18 people, with 3 in custody. Additionally, Versailles police are pursuing 3 suspects impersonating police officers, using knives to rob a couple of $1 million worth of Bitcoin. From July 2023 to the end of 2025, French police have handled a total of 40 cryptocurrency-related kidnapping cases.