French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin on Wednesday thanked Moroccan authorities for arresting the suspected ringleader behind a series of cryptocurrency-related kidnappings carried out in France.
"I sincerely thank Morocco for this arrest, which demonstrates the excellent judicial cooperation between our two countries, particularly in the fight against organized crime," Darmanin said on X.
The 25-year-old French-Moroccan suspect was detained in Tangier during a joint operation led by Morocco’s National Judicial Police Brigade (BNPJ) and the General Directorate of Territorial Surveillance (DGST), Moroccan police said in a statement.
The arrest followed a formal request from French authorities detailing the suspect’s alleged involvement in kidnappings, extortion targeting cryptocurrency users, and money laundering as part of an international criminal network operating in France.
(MAP: 04 June 2025)
