Paris (AFP) – French cryptocurrency boss Pierre Noizat on Friday praised his “heroic” son-in-law and a neighbour armed with a fire extinguisher for thwarting the attempted kidnapping of his pregnant daughter and young grandson. This week’s attempted abduction was the latest attack on a crypto trader in Paris, prompting another prominent cryptocurrency entrepreneur to urge authorities to “stop the Mexicanisation of France.”
Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau held an emergency meeting with sector leaders on Friday, with the ministry announcing plans to bolster their security. On Tuesday morning, four masked men attacked the daughter of Noizat, who is the CEO and co-founder of Paymium, a French cryptocurrency exchange platform, as well as her husband and their child in the French capital’s hip 11th district. All three suffered light injuries and were taken to hospital.
Noizat praised his “heroic” son-in-law and the man who used a red fire extinguisher against the attackers, saying he was “exemplary.” The son-in-law escaped with just a few stitches. “I’m amazed by his resilience and his courage,” Noizat told broadcaster BFMTV, adding his son-in-law fought off the attackers with the help of neighbours. “I admire them,” said Noizat.
According to video footage, the couple resisted, with the husband being beaten with “blunt objects,” a police source has said. The screams of the victims attracted passers-by, and one man was seen confronting the attackers with a fire extinguisher. The attackers fled the scene in a van, as the man threw the fire extinguisher in their direction. “I thank him and congratulate him for his courage,” Noizat said. “He went with his gut. It’s quite remarkable.”
During their escape, the attackers dropped an airsoft gun, a police source said, in an event witnessed by elementary schoolchildren who were left in shock. Noizat said his daughter was “as well as can be expected.” “She is very strong.” Tuesday’s events followed several high-profile cases in France, including the abduction in January of French crypto boss David Balland and his partner. Balland, co-founder of the Ledger crypto firm, had his finger cut off by the kidnappers.
After Friday’s emergency meeting, the ministry said in a statement that “initial immediate prevention and protection measures had been agreed.” The measures include close collaboration between police and crypto professionals, “priority access” to emergency call numbers, and home safety consultations.
– ‘Mexicanisation of France’ –
Ledger co-founder Eric Larcheveque, who received a ransom demand in January when Balland was kidnapped, urged authorities to “stop the Mexicanisation of France.” Mexico has been plagued by drug-linked murders and disappearances for decades. “For several months now, there has been a rise in sordid kidnappings and attempted kidnappings. In broad daylight. In the heart of Paris,” Larcheveque wrote on X this week. “Today, to succeed in France, whether in crypto-assets or elsewhere, is to put a target on your back.”
Noizat agreed with Larcheveque’s “Mexicanisation” comment. “I think we’re right in the middle of it,” he said, accusing politicians of “inaction.” He said the violence his daughter endured was “a daily reality for many people in France today.” Speaking before the ministry meeting, he said politicians were often more worried about “getting elected” than finding solutions. He said he expected other entrepreneurs to be targeted. “We’re dealing with a phenomenon that’s not going to be limited to cryptocurrency entrepreneurs.” “I think Mr. Retailleau has a bit of an impossible task,” he said.
© 2024 AFP
