Belgian court sentences three men to 12 years each in crypto kidnapping case

A Brussels criminal court on Thursday handed three men 12-year sentences for the December 2024 abduction of blockchain investor Stephane Winkel’s wife as Europe battles a spate of crypto-related kidnappings.

Prosecutors said the trio abducted Winkel’s spouse outside the couple’s home on Dec. 20, forced her into a French-registered van, and sped toward the coast. Winkel called the police, and a lengthy case ensued. Local agents successfully derailed the vehicle into a ditch near Bruges, and officers arrested the three adults inside. A teenage accomplice allegedly involved was referred to juvenile court.

During the trial, the defendants claimed shadowy “sponsors” had threatened to kill them unless they carried out the plot. The court dismissed the story, calling the job a professional hostage-taking and ordering more than 1 million euros ($1.2 million) in damages for the victims, who have since moved for safety. Detectives say the investigation continues as they hunt suspected masterminds behind several crypto-related kidnappings in Belgium and France, according to a report from Belgian outlet La Dernière Heure .

The case adds to a grim ledger of attacks hitting Europe, as France alone has reported over 10 incidents . Kidnappers mutilated Ledger co-founder David Balland in January before police rescued him. Assailants tried to snatch Paymium CEO Pierre Noziat’s family on a Paris street in May, and Australian crypto billionaire Tim Heath escaped violent abductors in Estonia last month, biting off one attacker’s finger to gain freedom.

Law enforcement has responded to the issue with coordinated efforts to apprehend those responsible. Interpol and Moroccan police arrested alleged ringleader Badiss Mohamed Amide Bajjou in June in connection with the Noziat plot and other crimes.