Another violent kidnapping over crypto has ended in a gruesome tragedy. The son of a Ukrainian vice-mayor was abducted in Austria, tortured, and ultimately burned alive, as criminals targeted his cryptocurrency fortune. The victim has died, and two Ukrainian suspects have been arrested.
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Son of Ukrainian Vice-Mayor Burned Alive #
It is one of the most brutal attacks to date. When a fire alarm rang out in Vienna, Austria, on November 26, no one expected a brutal torture and murder to be behind it.
A black Mercedes was on fire in a residential complex in the Donaustadt district. Only after extinguishing the flames did responders discover the completely burned body of 21-year-old student Danylo K. on the back seat. He was the son of the vice-mayor of the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv.
Crypto Kidnapping and Torture #
In the days that followed, the pieces of the puzzle fell into place during the police investigation, according to the Austrian newspaper Kronen Zeitung.
According to police, the man was first beaten by a fellow student in a parking garage near his hotel. He was then forced into his father’s black Mercedes and tortured for hours. Ultimately, he was set ablaze while alive on the back seat and left to die. Police have called it one of the most shocking violent crimes they have seen in years.
The incident drew international attention, with figures like Jameson Lopp commenting on social media: “The 21 year old son of a Ukrainian politician was kidnapped, tortured until he handed over multiple cryptocurrency wallets, and then burned to death in Vienna. Sounds like he was betrayed by one of his own friends.”
Police believe the perpetrators were after Danylo K.’s crypto. Shortly after the murder, all funds from the student’s crypto wallets vanished. The exact amount is unknown, but it is presumed to be substantial.
Two Suspects Arrested #
Police have since arrested two suspects, aged 19 and 45, both also Ukrainian. They were already internationally wanted for other crimes. During a raid on Saturday, police found large amounts of cash in their possession. It is suspected that the suspects quickly exchanged the stolen crypto for euros.
This is yet another gruesome crypto-related robbery. The number of violent assaults on crypto owners is increasing worldwide. Some experts warn that globally, a crypto owner is kidnapped and tortured almost weekly to steal their digital assets.