In Izhevsk, Russia, a 23-year-old bitcoin miner was forcefully abducted from his residence as kidnappers demanded a ransom of 15 million rubles ($166,000).
23-Year-Old Russian Bitcoin Miner Kidnapped for Ransom
On Dec. 25, in a rapid sequence of events, it was reported that the crypto miner was kidnapped and subjected to coercion. The ordeal began when he was abruptly seized from his dwelling and shoved into a Niva car, a model noted for its durability on Russian terrain. Ren TV disclosed that the kidnappers, including one acquainted with the victim, warned of grave repercussions unless the 15 million rubles ($166,000) ransom was promptly delivered.
The captors swiftly relayed their ransom demands via the Telegram messaging app, reaching out directly to the victim’s brother. They leveraged threats of fabricated criminal charges to hasten the payment, stating their intent to frame the victim as a drug smuggler by planting narcotics on him and then alerting the police.
The culprits, identified as individuals with a history of robbery and extortion, are currently facing severe legal consequences. The gravity of the charges mirrors the Russian judiciary’s approach to this type of abduction scenario. The report indicates that the perpetrators could be sentenced to as much as 12 years of incarceration for their actions.
Regrettably, since 2014, over 100 physical assaults have targeted crypto holders. Initially, these incidents were sparse, but as the value of crypto assets soared, so did the frequency of violent acts against their owners. These attacks encompass methods like kidnappings, assaults, and home invasions. In Nov. 2023, Changpeng Zhao, the former CEO of Binance, commonly referred to as CZ, revealed that criminals had kidnapped a Binance client, coercing them to drain their crypto wallets.
Source: Bitcoin
