Spanish police said on Wednesday that five suspects have been detained in connection with the kidnapping and murder of a man whose cryptocurrency holdings were the apparent motive.
Authorities added that four additional individuals have been charged in Denmark as part of the same investigation.
According to police, the victim and his partner were ambushed in April in southern Spain. When the man attempted to flee, he was shot in the leg.
A police statement said the couple were subsequently ‘taken to a house where they were held for several hours while the perpetrators tried to access their wallets in order to steal crypto assets’.
The woman was released around midnight and alerted authorities. Officers later discovered the man’s body in a wooded section of Mijas, in the province of Málaga (Andalusia).
Searches carried out at properties in Madrid and Málaga resulted in the seizure of firearms and ‘numerous items related to the crime’, among them a bloodstained pair of trousers. Police did not clarify the dates on which the arrests took place.
Danish officials charged four people linked to the case abroad, two of whom were already serving time for similar crimes. These repeat offenders highlight the growing expertise among criminals who specifically target digital currencies.
Investigators say the rising value of cryptocurrencies has coincided with a spike in violent abductions. From January to May alone, several cases were reported across Europe and North America, often occurring only weeks apart.
Unlike traditional cash theft, where the robber can take possession immediately, cryptocurrency crimes typically require victims to divulge passwords, seed phrases, or biometric logins. Kidnappers therefore tend to prolong the ordeal, using threats or force to compel access.
Victims have ranged from high-profile figures in the crypto world to ordinary investors. One case in early January involved a 56-year-old man discovered alive in the boot of a car near Le Mans, France; his captors had attempted to extort his son, a crypto influencer based in Dubai.
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🚩Detenidas 5 personas por el secuestro y asesinato de un hombre para sustraer sus #criptoactivos
➡️Imputadas otras 4, que se encuentran en territorio #danés
🔹Asaltaron a una pareja y tras disparar al varón les introdujeron en una vivienda, allí trataron de acceder a sus… pic.twitter.com/3Gs3hOYVtj
— Policía Nacional (@policia) December 10, 2025
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