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$1 Million in Crypto Ransom Behind the Disappearance of Businessman Hashem Al-Akkad
A reliable source told Zaman Al-Wasl that the wife of Syrian businessman Hashem Anwar Al-Akkad, who was kidnapped on March 10, 2025, in the Mezzeh area of Damascus, paid a $1 million ransom in the form of cryptocurrency, transferred through his brothers. However, contact with the kidnappers was cut off two months ago after they received the money.
Al-Akkad, one of Syria’s most prominent businessmen, was abducted near the “Golden Mezzeh” Hotel by an armed group, which initially demanded a $5 million ransom for his release.
The source stressed that this crime, which targeted a high-profile economic figure and involved the use of cryptocurrency as payment, requires urgent action by authorities to uncover its circumstances and hold those responsible accountable.
