A 60-year-old gold dealer from Montpellier was held captive for 18 days in an isolated house in Hérault, from September 4 to 22, 2026. The kidnappers lured the victim with a fake jewelry appraisal, subjected him to extreme detention conditions, then looted his home and embezzled nearly 500,000 euros through bank transfers. The intervention of Montpellier’s BRI, triggered after an alert from Belgian partners, led to the victim’s rescue and the arrest of the perpetrators. This case reveals that the methods used in crypto-kidnappings, previously reserved for digital asset holders, are now extending to precious metals dealers and any lucrative financial profile.
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