Five held in Ivanovo for torturing a programmer over 10.4 BTC

Police in Ivanovo, Russia, have detained five suspects in the kidnapping of a 22-year-old programmer who was forced under torture to hand over access to his crypto wallets, from which 10.4 BTC was moved. The arrests took place on October 27⁠–⁠28 and the case was made public on October 31 – November 1.

Details

According to Ivanovo region investigators and the court, as reported by AiF Ivanovo and Rambler, five men forced the programmer into a car on September 6, 2026, and took him to a garage cooperative. For about five hours they beat him and threatened torture while demanding passwords for his wallets and phones.

A total of 10.3961565 BTC was transferred to an unknown address. The victim also handed over 1 million rubles in cash, a phone and a laptop. Total damage is preliminarily put at more than 84 million rubles. The programmer was then left in a forest with his hands bound, and his home was searched.

Three suspects were detained on October 27 and two more on October 28; a court ordered them held in custody. They face charges of kidnapping (Article 126, Part 3 of the Russian Criminal Code) and robbery (Article 162, Part 4), which carry up to 15 years in prison. Investigators say the victim was picked from social media posts showing expensive cars and trips. The investigation continues, and the suspects have not been convicted.

What this means for the market

The case adds to a growing list of physical attacks on crypto holders, where criminals target visible wealth rather than breaking into a network. For private holders it is a reminder to avoid showing off wealth online and to set up large holdings so that one person cannot unlock them under duress. The story does not move the market. For the live bitcoin price see the daily brief; the asset page is Bitcoin. This is not investment advice.