TechFlow News, March 18: According to CriptoNoticias, a kidnapping incident targeting Bitcoin (BTC) and cryptocurrency private keys occurred recently in Madrid, Spain. On March 16, a 33-year-old Canadian cryptocurrency entrepreneur was forcibly taken into a rented van—whose license plate had been altered—while attending a dinner appointment in Madrid’s Salamanca district. Witnesses immediately alerted authorities, and Spanish National Police intercepted the vehicle near Atocha Station, successfully rescuing the victim. Two Serbian suspects, aged 32 and 45, were arrested on the spot; a third suspect remains at large.
According to police investigations, the kidnapping was premeditated. The victim had traveled from Barcelona to Madrid to discuss financial business, and investigators suspect he was previously surveilled by the suspects. The perpetrators intended to coerce the victim—through physical threats—into revealing the mnemonic phrase and private key for his cryptocurrency wallet, a tactic known in security circles as a “wrench attack.” Police seized plastic zip ties and pills from inside the vehicle, which were used as tools in the crime. Additionally, the suspects attempted to steal a luxury watch owned by the victim, valued at €100,000. The victim sustained no serious injuries, and the investigation remains ongoing.
This case is one of several recent physical assaults targeting cryptocurrency holders across Europe in 2026; France alone has recorded 11 such incidents this year.
