Lorraine Williamson
The Policia Nacional has dismantled what investigators describe as a violent criminal group operating between Spain and Denmark, following the abduction and killing of a man in Mijas believed to have been targeted for his cryptocurrency holdings. The case, which unfolded earlier this year, has exposed the growing intersection of organised crime and digital assets on the Costa del Sol — a region long associated with transnational networks drawn to its international population and transport links.
The investigation began when a woman arrived at a Málaga police station in shock, reporting that she and her partner had been ambushed by a masked gang while in Mijas. According to her account, three or four assailants dressed entirely in black surrounded them and fired a shot into her partner’s leg as he tried to escape. The attackers forced the couple into a vehicle and took them to a nearby property, where they were held for hours.
Inside the house, the captors attempted to break into the couple’s cryptocurrency wallets — a detail that immediately signalled to investigators that this was not a random act, but a targeted operation by criminals familiar with the world of digital assets.
Victim found dead hours after partner freed
Around midnight, the woman was released. However, her partner was not. His body was discovered later in a wooded area of Mijas, showing clear signs of violence in addition to the gunshot wound. It marked the moment the case shifted from a kidnapping to a murder investigation, triggering cooperation with Danish authorities once links to Scandinavia emerged.
Cryptocurrency-related kidnappings have surfaced sporadically across Europe over the past decade, but the brutality of this incident — and its cross-border connections — has given it particular weight.
Investigators trace the network
Detectives pieced together what happened through forensic evidence, surveillance analysis and international police coordination. They were able to identify those allegedly involved, leading to the arrest of five suspects in Spain. Officers also carried out six property searches in Málaga and Madrid.
A further four individuals have been formally charged in Denmark, two of whom are already in prison for crimes of a similar nature — a detail that investigators say highlights the sophistication and mobility of the network.
Weapons, clothing and digital devices seized
During the raids, officers recovered two firearms — one real, one simulated — as well as an extendable baton, a balaclava and clothing with blood traces. Forensic teams also found biological samples consistent with the evidence recovered from the house where the couple was held. Dozens of electronic devices and documents believed to be relevant to the case were seized, reinforcing the suspicion that the group specialised in extracting digital assets through coercion.
A case exposing new criminal frontiers
Spain’s Costa del Sol has become a hub for both legitimate tech entrepreneurs and criminal groups chasing fast-moving digital profits. For police forces, the challenge increasingly lies at the intersection of crypto-finance, international mobility and extreme violence.
As the Mijas crypto kidnapping case moves through the courts, investigators believe the operation has prevented further crimes of the same kind — but warn that the hunt for crypto wealth by organised gangs is a growing reality across Europe.
Spanish police uncover multi-million euro crypto fraud