“Now we have to go back to the sponsors,” says the spokesperson for the gendarmerie

On Wednesday, the police managed to release the co -founder of the Ledger cryptocurrency company, selected in the agglomeration of Châteauroux. Investors “have become targets”, according to Marie-Laure Pezant on Franceinfo.

Investors in cryptocurrencies “have become targets“, Ensured Friday, January 24, on Franceinfo, the spokesperson for the gendarmerie Marie-Laure Pezant, the day after the liberation by the gendarmerie of the co-founder of a company specializing in the security of cryptoactives, removed Tuesday in the cher against Rançon.It is an exceptional operation, which demonstrates the whole capacity of the gendarmerie to rise in power very quickly“The spokesperson said.

“Ten people were arrested“, dont “Some are known, in particular for common law enforcement“said Marie-Laure Pezant.”Now we also have to go back to sponsors, the investigations are underway“, She added. Asked about the possibility of an unidentified sponsor who can be abroad, the spokesperson for the gendarmerie replied that the”survey is not over“And that a sponsor abroad was a possibility.”This is why it is important to work in cooperation with the international“She continued.

David Balland, co -founder of the company Ledger, world leader in the design of physical portfolio of cryptocurrencies was kidnapped with his wife at their home in Méreau in Cher, at dawn on Tuesday. The criminals asked for an important ransom in cryptocurrency in exchange for their release.

The alert is given by Éric Larchevêque, co -founder of the company who received a video of a mutilated finger from David Balland and a ransom request. “”The partner immediately warned the gendarmerie because he has a ransom request, there is this abduction and then a mutilated finger, at that time, we deploy all our means on site“Commented the spokesperson for the gendarmerie.

“At the start, we know that there are two people who were removed, but we do not know where they are, if they are still in France, if they left abroad, we have nothing and in 48 hours, we put all our local, national means and we manage to find them. “

Marie-Laure Pezant

in franceinfo

“We have all the gendarmes of Cher and Indre who will be mobilized immediately to do research on the ground (…), the GIGN which is projected with 90 staff (…) and we also have the Cyber ​​national unit to do digital investigations“She added.

Wednesday, January 23, the police managed to release David Balland, retained in the agglomeration of Châteauroux (Indre). His wife was found tied up in the trunk of a car in Étampes (Essonne). If the gendarmerie spokesperson did not indicate the amount of the ransom claimed by the captors, she said that it was several million euros, but specified that “A part could be frozen“. “What was done was that from the moment we found the two hostages and that they were safe and taken care of by the doctors, we were able to freeze this cryptocurrency“She said.