MANGALURU: Four police teams of the Dakshina Kannada district police have launched a massive search for grandson of industrialist, who was reportedly kidnapped from Ujire, Belthangady taluk on Thursday.
According to police, abductors are known to the complainant and have demanded 60 bitcoins which is an approximate Rs 10 crore as ransom. Police suspect that issues with bitcoin business may be the reason for the abduction. Hours after the abduction, miscreants demanded 100 bitcoins as ransom and on Friday, they lowered it to 60 bitcoins. Abductors who are in constant touch with family are conversing through WhatsApp call/message which cannot be easily tracked.
This is probably first case of kidnapping for crypto ransom reported from the district.
The police said that the incident was reported around 6.30pm when the boy was playing outside his home. Four unidentified persons who came in a car picked him from his residence and sped away. It is learnt that the boy’s grandfather who had gone out for a walk, saw the boy being abducted from a distance. Few minutes after the boy was abducted, his mother received a call from unidentified persons, who demanded 100 bitcoins as a ransom to release her son.
B M Laxmi Prasad, superintendent of police told TOI that four special teams have been working for the safe release of the victim. “Preliminary investigation revealed that abductors are well-known to the family. Based on the information provided, the police are investigating the incident. The abductors are travelling constantly on the highways,” Laxmi Prasad said adding that the boy has never spoken to his family after he was kidnapped.
On being asked if business issues were a reason for the kidnap, Laxmi Prasad said that the family is majorly into cement and hardware business. The Boy’s father is also part of network marketing and for some time he was trading with Bitcoins but has stopped recently.
Sources investigating the case added that the first call made to the boy’s family was traced to Hassan. The abductors also questioned the family why they had informed the police and emphasised to pay money only digitally. They also added that the abducted boy is hiding somewhere close to the Dakshina Kannada border and the entire show is managed by a single person, who is on a constant move.