A young Russian couple involved in cryptocurrency was kidnapped in Buenos Aires and later rescued after a ransom of $43,000 was paid in Bitcoin. The high-stakes abduction, which occurred on May 23 in Palermo, has sparked an international manhunt involving Interpol.
Crypto Dinner Turns into Nightmare Kidnapping
According to local reports, the victims had previously met the suspects—two Chechen men—at a local bar. The couple was invited to dinner at a short-term rental apartment on Ravignani Street. However, the evening turned grim when they were held hostage and bound inside the residence.
At around 11 p.m., the female victim shouted for help from the balcony, alerting nearby restaurant staff, who called the police. Officers found the woman and her partner tied up upon arrival.
Bitcoin Ransom and Escape
The kidnappers demanded cryptocurrency in exchange for the couple’s release. A separate Russian national in Partido de la Costa arranged a $43,000 Bitcoin transfer. The couple was freed shortly after the payment.
However, by the time authorities traced the suspects, they had fled Argentina for the United Arab Emirates via Ezeiza International Airport. Interpol has issued red notices, and Argentine Judge María Romilda Servini is leading the extradition efforts.
Crypto Wealth Turns Dangerous
Investigators believe the perpetrators knew their victims had access to crypto holdings. “This wasn’t a coincidence,” a source said. “It was a targeted attack.”
The case underscores growing concerns about digital asset-related kidnappings, particularly as crypto adoption spreads.
A Growing Global Trend of Crypto Kidnappings
This case mirrors a disturbing global pattern. In France, crypto figure David Balland was kidnapped in January. Attackers mutilated him and sent ransom videos to his partners.
More recently, French authorities thwarted a €7 million ransom plot by freeing a crypto entrepreneur’s father from kidnappers. Meanwhile, in Las Vegas, three teens kidnapped a man from a crypto event, robbing him of $4 million before abandoning him in the desert.
Governments and private security firms are now responding to the rising tide of crypto-targeted violence with increased protection and emergency protocols.
