Incident Overview
- A family in Vendin-le-Vieil was held hostage by four masked men, forcing the father to provide cryptocurrency access codes.
- The attackers stole approximately €40,000, equivalent to $46,000, and remain at large.
In the early hours of Sunday, four masked intruders invaded a residence in Vendin-le-Vieil, France, taking a couple and their two children hostage. The father, a 40-year-old IT specialist in the cryptocurrency field, was coerced into transferring around €40,000 in cryptocurrency, according to local reports.
The Béthune prosecutor's office stated that the assailants broke in around 4 a.m., binding the family with tape and staying for over three hours. The children, aged eight and twelve, were present during the ordeal. Reports indicate that the attackers physically intimidated the father to acquire his identification details and access codes, and one of the children was reportedly struck during the incident.
The family managed to free themselves after the assailants fled with the stolen funds, prompting emergency services to arrive by 7 a.m. They are currently receiving medical evaluations and support from victim assistance organizations. The case has been classified as kidnapping and extortion, with investigations led by regional judicial police and France's anti-cybercrime unit. The identity of the four suspects remains unknown.
