Since 2024, the number of cryptocurrency-related crimes has been growing rapidly. From hacking the perpetrators turned to kidnapping and torture.
Recently, it became known that last year, an attempt was made to kidnap Australian crypto billionaire Tim Heath in Estonia. He managed to escape by biting off part of his attacker’s index finger. Heath was attacked in the entrance of his house by two men posing as painters.
One of the attackers, Azerbaijani citizen Allahverdi Allahverdiyev — a former boxer and wrestler — tried to gag Heath by putting his hand on his face. The attackers planned to drag the crypto businessman into a minibus by force, but Heath bit off his attacker’s index finger and managed to break free. Heath lost a tooth but managed to escape to his apartment.
The criminals fled shortly after, leaving the van nearby. Part of the finger was found in the street 100 meters from the attack.
Heath is originally from Australia. He founded the Estonian Yolo Group and its venture capital arm, Yolo Investments, which are actively investing in fintech, cryptocurrencies, and gaming. The Australian Financial Review Rich List estimates Heath’s net worth at A$2.46 billion ($1.61 billion).
According to the court case, a group of seven kidnappers followed Heath on the eve of the attack, both in person and with the help of a GPS tracker on the businessman’s car. The group allegedly entered Estonia with forged Georgian passports, bought painters’ uniforms and other items in hardware stores to pose as workers.
The plan was to transport Heath to a rented house with a sauna nearby, where he would be forced to transfer cryptocurrency assets. A hacker was also allegedly involved in the kidnapping.
In addition to Allakhverdiyev, a citizen of Georgia, Ilgar Mamedov, was also arrested. Both men are on trial in Estonia. Two others are wanted by police, including the alleged organizer Najaf Najafli, and three have not yet been identified.
Prosecutors also claim that a few weeks after the failed kidnapping, Heath received a Telegram message with photos of his apartment and a demand for 30 bitcoins, which was worth about $3.3 million at the time. When Heath did not respond, the kidnappers did not try to contact him again.
According to media reports, after the attack, the crypto billionaire allegedly spent more than $3.1 million on private security.
Source: Cointelegraph
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