Spain’s Guardia Civil captured in Andalusia the remaining suspect who had been on the run following the abduction of the Ledger co-founder and his wife.
Spanish authorities have arrested the last remaining suspect linked to the kidnapping of David Balland, co-founder of Ledger, which took place in January 2025. The Guardia Civil announced on Friday that it had tracked down and detained the man in Andalusia, thereby closing the net on the entire criminal organization responsible for the abduction.
Balland and his wife had been kidnapped from their home in central France. The kidnappers demanded a €10 million ransom for the release of the co-founder of Ledger. The kidnappers severed one of Balland’s fingers, while his wife was left locked in the trunk of a car on the outskirts of Paris, where she was later rescued.
Last year, at least 10 people were arrested, including nine men and one woman between the ages of 20 and 40. Several were placed in pre-trial detention and charged with offenses including aggravated kidnapping, torture, and armed extortion. The last suspect had left France to seek refuge in Spain and avoid capture.
“Following the events, French authorities identified and arrested all members of the criminal organization, with the exception of one individual, who left the country to seek refuge in ours and evade arrest,” the Guardia Civil stated in a press release. Spanish authorities specified that the fugitive had stayed in various locations across Spain, in rooms rented online.
According to findings by Certik, the alleged kidnappers appear to be linked to “a sophisticated network operating from Morocco.” The case fits into a broader context of increasing physical violence against figures in the crypto sector: 2025 recorded the highest number of so-called “wrench attacks,” with approximately 70 documented physical assaults.
