Spanish authorities bust cryptocurrency kidnapping ring after deadly attack

Spanish police on Thursday arrested five people and charged four others with the kidnapping and murder of a man in Denmark for cryptocurrency.

The police operation dismantled what authorities described as a criminal group operating across borders to steal cryptocurrencies.

The investigation began in April when a woman arrived at Malaga police station to report that she and her partner had been kidnapped in the nearby town of Mijas. According to police, the couple was ambushed by three or four masked men wearing black clothes and carrying handguns.

The man was shot in the leg while fleeing, and both men were then forced into a car and taken to a home where they were held for several hours.

During the ordeal, the attackers attempted to gain access to the couple’s cryptocurrency wallets. The woman was released around midnight, but her partner’s body was later discovered in a wooded area. In addition to the gunshot wound, he was showing signs of violence, police said.

Authorities raided six homes in Madrid and Malaga, confiscating two handguns (one real and one fake), batons, bloodstained clothing, mobile devices and documents.

Biological evidence related to the scene was also recovered. Danish police, in cooperation with Spanish police, have charged four people in connection with the incident. Two people are already in prison on similar charges.

This incident illustrates the growing trend of physical attacks aimed at extracting access to cryptocurrency wallets. These attacks have affected the crypto industry this year, leading to a campaign against what has become known as wrench attacks.