Two young French cryptocurrency investors were ambushed in east London in July 2025, held captive for 52 hours, tortured, and forced to transfer digital assets in a case that underscores the rising threat of violent “wrench attacks” on crypto holders.
The pair, both in their 20s and described in court as crypto millionaires visiting from France, had been staying in Kensington. Prosecutors said their flashy lifestyles, widely shared on social media, likely drew the attention of criminals. They drove to the Shadwell area intending to buy cannabis. Three masked men armed with a gun and knife forced them back into their black Mercedes and took them to a flat in Rathbone East, Canning Town.
Over more than two days, the victims were cable-tied, beaten, and had socks stuffed in their mouths. Court testimony detailed scalding with boiling water, including on their genitals, cigarette burns (one stubbed out in a mouth), threats of genital mutilation, and pressure to perform acts for blackmail videos. They received almost no food only one KFC spicy chicken wing between them while the gang ate the rest of a 20-piece bucket. One victim claimed he was forced to drink toilet water. Prosecuting barrister Heidi Stonecliffe KC called it “cold, hard torture.” The gang demanded $150,000 in cryptocurrency; about $30,000 was transferred. One victim was released. The other later said he believed he had been “sold” to a second group.
Metropolitan Police Flying Squad officers traced a phone left behind during the ambush after a friend alerted authorities from a McDonald’s. The rescue ended in a high-speed chase reaching 70 mph through residential streets. The getaway car crashed into a lamppost. One victim was pulled out with hands still tied and visible cigarette burns.
At Inner London Crown Court in early August 2026, Gerson Borges and Mohamed Osman were convicted of conspiracy to blackmail and false imprisonment. Julius George, Isaac Bakoya, and William Adebisi (along with reports noting a sixth conviction in the broader case) were found guilty of false imprisonment. Yasir Mohamed faced a hung jury on a blackmail charge. The alleged ringleader, Ibrahim Mohamed (known as “Nino” or “Fatboy”), directed the plot via WhatsApp and Snapchat from overseas and remains at large. The victims were too afraid to testify in person. Defendants were cleared of some charges, including kidnap and sexual assault.
This fits a documented European surge in wrench attacks physical coercion to seize crypto rather than hacking. CertiK recorded 52 verified cases in the first half of 2026 (up 33% year-over-year), with roughly $124 million in exposure. Europe accounted for most, and France for 33 of them, amid data leaks and public wealth displays that make holders easier targets.
The case shows how irreversible crypto transfers and online visibility turn personal security into a critical vulnerability. Sentencing is expected later in 2026. With the overseas organizer still free, the episode remains a cautionary signal for digital-asset holders.
