A French couple were allegedly kidnapped from their home in Rion-des-Landes during the night of Aug. 10 to 11 in what investigators are treating as a crypto-related extortion case. According to local reporting, the attackers were seeking access to a large amount of Bitcoin and other digital assets.

The man was later found injured and unclothed in Solférino, while the woman was recovered in another French department. Two men have been arrested, and the case is now being handled by the Specialized Interregional Jurisdiction in Bordeaux.

Abduction began at the couple’s home

The two residents were reportedly held inside their house in Rion-des-Landes, a town in the Landes department in southwestern France, before being taken away. The assailants allegedly tried to force the couple to surrender cryptocurrency described in the report as a large holding of Bitcoin and other assets.

After the confrontation at the home, the victims were transported to separate locations. Authorities have not said how long they were kept, how the suspects identified the couple, or whether any transfer of cryptocurrency actually took place.

Victims found in different locations

The man was later discovered in Solférino, roughly 20 kilometers from Rion-des-Landes, naked and suffering from several cuts. Public authorities have not provided further detail on how he was found or the extent of his injuries.

The woman was located inside a vehicle in another department. Investigators have not disclosed the exact location, her condition at the time of recovery, or the circumstances that led officers to her.

Search, evidence collection and arrests

Soon after the abduction, French gendarmes were deployed across the area and stopped vehicles on the road linking Rion-des-Landes and Lesperon. Investigators returned to the couple’s home the following day to gather evidence and collect fingerprints.

Two men were arrested shortly afterward. Their identities have not been released, and authorities have not clarified whether they remain in custody or whether any weapons, vehicles, phones, or other digital devices were seized during the operation.

Case handled by Bordeaux specialized jurisdiction

France’s National Anti-Organized Crime Prosecutor’s Office confirmed that the Specialized Interregional Jurisdiction in Bordeaux is leading the investigation. Officials have not released the couple’s names, professions, or any estimate of their crypto holdings.

It also remains unconfirmed whether either victim had links to the digital asset industry or had spoken publicly about owning cryptocurrency. No official statement has established the value of the assets allegedly targeted, or identified any wallet credentials or blockchain transactions connected to the case.

Part of a wider pattern under scrutiny

The alleged abduction comes amid broader concern in France over violence tied to digital asset wealth. The country’s interior minister has cited 77 crypto-linked kidnapping and extortion cases in 2026.

Chainalysis has also reported an increase in these kinds of incidents globally, including home invasions in the United States targeting people believed to hold cryptocurrency. For now, the next confirmed step in the French case is the continuing investigation under the Bordeaux specialized jurisdiction, with many key details still undisclosed.

Source: crypto.news