ANOTHER RINGLEADER?
The French authorities are also probing Bajjou’s possible involvement in the series of kidnappings or attempted kidnappings in May, Le Parisien said.
In footage that went viral on social media, several masked men attacked a pregnant daughter of cryptocurrency entrepreneur Pierre Noizat, her husband and their child in broad daylight in the French capital’s hip 11th district in mid-May.
The attackers fled after the family put up resistance and a local attacked the men with a fire extinguisher.
In early May, attackers also abducted a crypto-millionaire’s father, who was later rescued by police.
According to Le Parisien, another Franco-Moroccan man in his forties is believed to be behind the kidnapping plots. He remains at large.
The Morocco-based men are thought to have been recruiting youngsters online to carry out criminal offenses in France.
French authorities have made a series of arrests but the suspects detained until now are thought to have been those involved in carrying out the abductions or in logistics.
Last week, French authorities charged 25 people aged between 16 and 23 in connection with the kidnappings and attempted abductions. Most of the suspects were born in France and others in Senegal, Angola and Russia.
The crimes have become a major embarrassment for the French government and have sparked concern about the security of wealthy crypto tycoons, who have notched up immense fortunes from the booming business.
In May, Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau held an emergency meeting with cryptocurrency leaders, with the ministry announcing plans to bolster their security.
