Five men have been convicted at Inner London Crown Court following the kidnapping and prolonged abuse of two French cryptocurrency investors in East London. The victims, both in their twenties, were held for more than two days and compelled to hand over cryptocurrency after facing threats and physical violence.

The Abduction and Captivity

The two men were visiting London and staying in Kensington when the attack occurred. After parking a rented black Mercedes in Shadwell, they were confronted by three masked individuals armed with a gun and a knife. The attackers forced them back into the vehicle and drove them to a flat in Canning Town.

During the 52-hour ordeal, the captives were stripped naked, bound with tape and cable ties, and subjected to repeated assaults. Prosecutors told the court that boiling water was poured over their bodies, including their genitals, and cigarettes were used to burn them. One victim had a cigarette extinguished in his mouth. The group also threatened mutilation and further violence unless a ransom of $150,000 in cryptocurrency was paid.

The victims were given almost no food, receiving only a single spicy chicken wing from a takeaway meal while the captors ate the rest. One was forced to drink toilet water. Eventually the gang accepted a transfer of approximately $30,000 in digital assets. One victim was released. The second later told investigators he believed he had been sold to another criminal group for continued extortion.

Arrests and Court Outcome

The investigation advanced after a friend who had been travelling with the victims escaped during the initial ambush. A mobile phone left unnoticed inside the Mercedes allowed the Metropolitan Police Flying Squad to track the location. Officers also used CCTV footage to identify the hideout.

Police later intercepted a vehicle carrying one of the victims. A pursuit through residential streets reached speeds of about 70 mph before the car crashed. Officers found the remaining captive with his hands still bound and visible cigarette burns on his face and body.

Gerson Borges and Mohamed Osman were found guilty of conspiracy to blackmail and false imprisonment. Julius George, Isaac Bakoya and William Adebisi were convicted of false imprisonment. The defendants were cleared of certain other charges, including kidnapping and possession of an imitation firearm. The alleged organiser, identified as Ibrahim Mohamed and known as “Nino,” directed the operation remotely through messaging apps and remains at large.

Wider Pattern of Violent Crypto Crime

The case forms part of a broader rise in physical attacks targeting holders of digital assets. Security researchers refer to these as wrench attacks, in which criminals use violence or the threat of violence rather than technical methods to force the transfer of cryptocurrency.

French authorities recorded 77 cases of kidnapping, unlawful detention or extortion linked to cryptocurrency in the first half of 2026, a sharp increase from 45 cases across the whole of 2025. Blockchain security firm CertiK documented 34 confirmed wrench attacks in the first four months of 2026 alone. Similar incidents have been reported in the United Kingdom and the United States, with some attacks linked to publicly visible displays of wealth on social media or to data breaches at crypto-related services.

In the London case, prosecutors told the court that the victims’ lavish lifestyle, documented online, may have drawn the attention of the group. The convictions close one chapter of the investigation while the alleged organiser continues to evade capture.