The Paris prosecutor’s office has announced the rescue of David Balland, a partner and co-founder of Ledger, who fell victim to a gang of extortionists. This was reported by local media.
The businessman was kidnapped early on January 21 from his home in the Cher department, France. He was then transported by car to another location, where he was held and a large sum in cryptocurrency was demanded.
The operation to rescue Balland was conducted with the involvement of the GIGN counter-terrorism unit. On the evening of January 22, the victim was taken to a hospital for medical assistance.
Law enforcement has arrested 10 suspects, including nine men and one woman aged 20 to 40, reports Fortune. Most of them have prior criminal records.
According to the magazine, the attackers also kidnapped Balland’s wife, whom the police found in a van hours later. She was unharmed physically but is under psychological observation. The businessman sustained a hand injury and has been hospitalized.
The ransom was demanded through another Ledger co-founder, who paid part of the sum. During the operation, nearly all the funds were frozen and seized. No further details have been disclosed.
Ledger CEO Pascal Gauthier thanked law enforcement for their swift actions, noting that the company is “deeply shocked by the incident” and relieved that Balland and his wife are safe.
The investigation continues. The kidnappers face life imprisonment.
Balland became one of Ledger’s co-founders in 2014 and served as the director of the company’s factory in Vierzon from 2019 to 2021, according to his LinkedIn profile.
Previously, ForkLog reported that the FBI uncovered a group of criminals who planned to kidnap a jeweler from Miami to extort about $2 million in cryptocurrency from the victim.