Nobody appears to be safe from France’s tradition of homejackings, including celebrities, crypto CEOs, and athletes. Now, another high-profile case involved a high-ranking official from the Council of State and his family, who were subjected to a violent ordeal on the night of Jan. 30 in Ivry-sur-Seine. Currently, one suspect has already fled to Tunisia.
The targeted homejacking involved armed kidnapping and physical assault, resulting in a judicial investigation that has already led to one arrest.
The events began around 8:45 p.m. when the official’s wife was returning home. She was “violently pushed inside by three ‘African type’ men, hooded and armed” with knives and fake weapons. The intruders gathered the couple’s two children and their nanny, sequestering them in the living room.
The father, a master of requests at the Council of State, returned home several hours later at approximately 11 p.m. He was immediately targeted by the group, “beaten with rifle butts and sequestered in turn.” The victims reported that they had noticed “the repeated presence of a white van parked in front of their home” in the days leading up to the attack, and the suspects admitted they “had been sent to attack her.”
During the captivity, the kidnappers attempted to extract sensitive professional information, specifically “related to his role at the Council of State.”
Beyond the interrogation, the suspects systematically looted the home, stealing: cell phones and computers, jewelry, watches, and several paintings.
The family was forced to increase their bank withdrawal limits, allowing the suspects to make multiple cash withdrawals. The nightmare lasted until 1:45 a.m. when the perpetrators fled in the family’s vehicle. Police later found the car “charred by the police, in the town of Vitry sur Seine.”
When officers arrived at 2 a.m., they found “traces of blood” in the house and eventually “discovered the five occupants sequestered in the basement, the door being kept closed from the outside by a telephone cable.”
The entire family was transported to Kremlin-Bicêtre hospital for treatment, according to French news outlet Valuers Actuelles.
A judicial investigation has led to the identification of two primary suspects. On Feb. 3, police arrested 27-year-old Gueye E. at his residence. Authorities noted that he “would have a long criminal record, particularly in banditry and would have gone to prison.”
🇫🇷🇵🇱 After returning from Poland, French journalist @YOANNUSAI said:
"It’s true that after coming back from certain countries to France, you can say to yourself: 'My God, what have they done to our country?'"
"And it’s true that Poland is still Poland, while France is no… pic.twitter.com/xPDOiEfeMz
— Remix News & Views (@RMXnews) February 5, 2026During the arrest, the suspect allegedly “tried to get rid of some of the stolen loot by throwing it out the window.”
A second identified accomplice has reportedly “fled his home and France to take refuge in Tunisia” to evade capture. The judicial police continue to investigate the broader motivations behind the targeted kidnapping.
This is hardly the only homejacking in France, with many such incidents even ending in far worse scenarios. The country has a history of these violent home invasions, including well-known French figures, such as Vitaa, Bruno Guillon, Jean-François Piège, Anne-Sophie Lapix, and Nikos Aliagas.
The head of crypto firms and financiers have also been targeted in such attacks, with one of them even having their finger cut off.
