Badiss Mohamed Amide Bajjou, a 24-year-old man believed to be involved in a series of crypto-related kidnappings in France, has been arrested in Morocco.
According to a June 4 report by Le Parisien, Bajjou, a dual citizen of France and Morocco, was taken into custody by Moroccan authorities following a request from French officials.
The arrest was made with the help of the country’s intelligence service. Police reportedly found him with several mobile phones and bladed weapons.
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Bajjou has been under international investigation since 2023. Interpol issued a red notice against him by accusing him of being involved in organized extortion and kidnapping cases.
French officials claimed he played a major role in recent attacks targeting individuals linked to the crypto industry, including a January incident involving Ledger co-founder David Balland.
The case gained further attention in May when French police arrested 12 people connected to two attempted kidnappings. One of those attacks reportedly targeted the daughter of Pierre Noizat, co-founder of the French crypto exchange Paymium.
Just days after the raid, French prosecutors charged a total of 25 people. Many of them were between the ages of 16 and 23.
Following Bajjou’s arrest, French Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin said in a translated post on X:
I sincerely thank Morocco for this arrest, which demonstrates the excellent judicial cooperation between our two countries, particularly against organized crime.
Even with Bajjou in custody, investigators believe another suspect could be involved. Reports suggest this second French-Moroccan national was identified through blockchain tracking tools and may have been overseeing operations from behind the scenes.
On May 28, Vietnamese police arrested five individuals accused of operating Matrix Chain, a crypto scam that defrauded over 185,000 users of nearly $394 million. How did the case unfold? Read the full story.
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