Crypto investors are often targets of crime, especially if they openly brag about their wealth. In Kyiv, Ukraine, police have arrested four men in connection with the kidnapping and murder of a 29-year-old foreign Bitcoin investor.
According to authorities, the suspects carefully planned and executed the attack around midnight on July 29, stealing $170,000 worth of Bitcoin, Kyiv police announced.
Kidnapped and murdered
The four suspects, all Ukrainian men between the ages of 24 and 29, had carefully planned the kidnapping, according to Kyiv police. Witnesses in the area where the kidnapping took place heard screams and saw several people pulling a man into a car. Video footage shows the victim being attacked and dragged into the vehicle.
The victim was taken to an abandoned building, where he was forced to transfer 2.55 BTC to the perpetrators. Unfortunately, the horror for the victim did not end there; he was then strangled and his body was buried in a forest.
Police said the perpetrators had changed the appearance of their car and its license plates to cover up their crime. After the murder, they were able to convert the stolen Bitcoin into US dollars and euros, which were later seized by police during their arrest.
The four suspects are charged with murder, robbery, illegal deprivation of liberty and concealment of a crime. They risk life sentences. What exactly the foreign victim was doing in Ukraine is unclear, especially since the country is currently not considered an attractive holiday destination.
Increase in crypto-related crimes
Crypto investors are often targets for kidnapping and extortion, especially if they flaunt their success on social media. There have been multiple cases of crypto-related crimes in recent years, including the gruesome murder of a crypto millionaire in Argentina and a similar incident in Bulgaria.
Source: https://newsbit.nl/vier-mannen-uit-kyiv-dwongen-investeerder-om-bitcoin-over-te-maken-voordat-ze-hem-vermoordden/
