A series of high-profile incidents in 2025 has focused attention on France’s approach to combating organised, financially motivated crime and protecting its cultural heritage.
Three cases—the abduction of an Uzbek financier in central Paris, an attempted kidnapping linked to the cryptocurrency sector, and a robbery at the Louvre—underscore the breadth of threats and the operational challenges facing law enforcement and judicial bodies.
In late June, Kakhramonjon (also spelled Kahramonjon) Olimov, a 48-year-old financier from Uzbekistan and principal shareholder of Anorbank, was kidnapped in Paris’s 8th arrondissement, near the Élysée Palace. Reports indicate he was lured to a meeting, forced into a vehicle, transported several hundred miles south, and held for nearly two days before being released near Nice. French prosecutors initiated a formal inquiry, and at least one suspect was placed under investigation for organised kidnapping.
Coverage of the Olimov case has referenced Batyr Rakhimov, a former underworld figure turned businessman with familial ties to Uzbekistan’s political establishment, as a person of interest. Notably, there is no public EU listing or travel ban in place for Mr. Rakhimov; the EU’s consolidated lists lack such an entry, permitting him to enter the European Union.
The Paris kidnapping was not an isolated incident. In May, a masked group attempted to abduct the daughter—and young child—of a cryptocurrency executive in the capital. The attempt was thwarted, and prosecutors launched an investigation. Reuters and other outlets subsequently reported arrests and charging decisions involving suspects linked to kidnap-for-ransom or coercion targeting individuals believed to possess significant digital assets.
Investigators and media describe a consistent pattern: suspects identify targets perceived to have the ability to quickly move funds; victims are approached or seized in or near affluent areas; and pressure is applied to execute rapid transfers or arrange ransom payments. Several suspects have been identified as minors, and elements of planning and surveillance have been observed.
In a separate matter, on 19 October, thieves executed a swift, daytime robbery in the Louvre’s Galerie d’Apollon, where items from France’s Crown Jewels collection are exhibited. Reports suggest the perpetrators used construction-type equipment to breach an upper-level entry point shortly after opening, forced display cases with power tools, and escaped on motorbikes within minutes. The museum was evacuated and closed for the day while a specialist robbery unit took charge of the investigation.
Reports indicate that eight jewels of significant historical value were taken, including pieces associated with Empress Eugénie and the sapphire sets of Queens Marie-Amélie and Hortense. One crown was dropped and recovered near the museum; the Regent Diamond was not targeted. Authorities have pledged to review and enhance security protocols.
These incidents have reignited debate about the scope of criminal networks operating within France and the effectiveness of the response. In the kidnapping cases, law enforcement and magistrates have pursued network-level investigations, bringing multiple suspects before investigating judges with the stated goal of disrupting groups rather than addressing individual events in isolation. In the Louvre case, the Interior Ministry has allocated dedicated resources and indicated procedural adjustments for national museums.
Geographically, open cases and assessments suggest links to groups in Eastern Europe and the broader region, as well as domestic actors. Methodologically, the shift towards targeting individuals associated with cryptocurrencies or high-liquidity assets reflects an adaptation to perceived vulnerabilities in asset mobility; for cultural sites, risk is shaped by public access and any temporary security gaps resulting from construction or altered visitor patterns.
The sequence of high-profile cases within a roughly six-month period is noteworthy: an attempted crypto-related abduction in mid-May; arrests and charging decisions in late May; the kidnapping of Kakhramonjon Olimov in late June; and the Louvre robbery in mid-October. Each incident differed in motive and method, yet all necessitated rapid inter-service coordination and garnered significant public attention.