French Crypto Millionaires Tortured, Burned and Forced To Pay $30,000 as London Court Convicts Six Men

A London jury has convicted six men over the kidnapping, torture and blackmail of two French cryptocurrency millionaires after a 52-hour ordeal in which the victims were stripped naked, beaten, burned with cigarettes, scalded with boiling water and forced to hand over roughly $30,000 in cryptocurrency while captors demanded five times more.

The convictions come as security firm CertiK reports that Europe has become the global centre of so-called 'wrench attacks', violent assaults and kidnappings targeting cryptocurrency holders, with France accounting for the majority of recorded incidents during the first half of 2026. Researchers say criminals are increasingly bypassing digital security by attacking investors directly.

London Jury Convicts Six Over 52-Hour Crypto Kidnapping

The case centred on two unnamed French men in their 20s, described in court as cryptocurrency millionaires, who travelled to London in July 2025. Prosecutors said the pair were targeted after posting their luxury lifestyles on social media.

According to evidence presented at Inner London Crown Court, the victims drove from Kensington to east London intending to buy cannabis before being ambushed by three masked men carrying a firearm and a knife. The attackers forced them into a rented Mercedes before taking them to a flat in Canning Town, where they remained captive for more than two days.

Prosecutor Heidi Stonecliffe KC described the treatment as 'cold, hard torture'. Jurors heard the men were tied up with tape and cable ties, repeatedly beaten, burned with cigarettes and had boiling water poured over parts of their bodies, including their genitals.

The victims also alleged they were threatened with genital mutilation, sexual violence and harm against family members unless they transferred cryptocurrency. Court evidence showed they ultimately transferred about $30,000 worth of digital assets after captors demanded approximately $150,000.

One victim was later released, while the second told investigators he believed he had been handed over to another criminal group after being 'sold'.

Investigation Led Police to the Captive Victims

The Metropolitan Police Flying Squad tracked the suspects after a companion who escaped during the initial attack left his mobile phone inside the kidnappers' vehicle. Investigators combined mobile phone data with CCTV footage to locate the property where the victims were being held before carrying out a series of arrests.

Three suspects attempted to flee in a vehicle through residential streets before crashing into a lamp post following a police pursuit. Inner London Crown Court convicted Gerson Borges and Mohamed Osman of conspiracy to blackmail and false imprisonment.

William Adebisi, Julius George, Isaac Bakoya and Adel Sineen were convicted of false imprisonment. Jurors cleared the defendants of kidnap, possessing an imitation firearm and sexual assault charges.

Sentencing is scheduled for September. Police said the operation had been directed remotely through WhatsApp and Snapchat by Ibrahim Mohamed, also known as 'Nino', who remains overseas and has not been arrested.

Europe Now A Key Hotspot For Crypto 'Wrench Attacks'

The London case reflects a wider pattern identified by blockchain security company CertiK in its latest threat report. The firm's H1 2026 Wrench Attack Report documented 52 verified physical attacks targeting cryptocurrency holders during the first six months of the year.

Recorded financial exposure reached approximately $124 million, more than ten times higher than during the same period a year earlier. Europe accounted for 39 of those attacks.

France alone represented 33 incidents, making it the largest national hotspot in CertiK's dataset. Researchers also identified an increase in home invasions targeting digital asset investors.

Unlike conventional cyber theft, wrench attacks rely on physical violence or intimidation to force victims to unlock wallets or transfer cryptocurrency, rendering sophisticated digital security measures ineffective once attackers gain physical control of the victim.

Social Media Wealth Displays Highlight New Risks

During the London trial, prosecutors argued the French visitors' public displays of wealth may have attracted organised criminals. Stonecliffe told jurors the victims' lifestyles had been 'widely published on social media' and 'may well have attracted unwanted attention'.

Security specialists increasingly advise cryptocurrency investors to limit public disclosure of their holdings, avoid revealing travel routines and separate wallet access from recovery credentials. CertiK also recommends stronger residential security and emergency planning, noting that physical coercion has become one of the fastest-growing risks facing high-net-worth cryptocurrency holders.

The Metropolitan Police said the convictions demonstrated its determination to pursue organised violent offenders even where victims were unwilling or unable to testify in court because of fear.