TLDR
- Evan Luthra says five masked men took over $2 million in crypto and a Richard Mille watch in Oxford on November 4, 2025.
- He spent hours without a phone, so he could not warn exchanges while funds moved.
- Binance returned about $370,000 under a UK court order, and Luthra says he has recovered just under $1 million in total.
- Police arrested several suspects, and the trial has moved to November 2027.
- Chainalysis counted a record $58 million stolen in physical “wrench attacks” in 2025.
Crypto investor Evan Luthra has shared new details of a kidnapping in Oxford, England, last year. He told BeInCrypto that five masked men forced him to hand over more than $2 million in crypto. The attack lasted about 30 minutes.
Crypto Investor Luthra Details Oxford Kidnapping: Five Masked Men Force Way Into Car and Assault Him, Stealing Over $2 Million in Crypto Within 30 Minutes
According to BeInCrypto, crypto investor Evan Luthra has publicly disclosed for the first time the details of his kidnapping… pic.twitter.com/6vegIgqSjp
— Wu Blockchain (@WuBlockchain) November 9, 2026
Luthra was in London for Halloween, an award at the House of Lords and a speech at Oxford University. On November 4, 2025, he left the Oxford event with four friends. A private driver, booked through an acquaintance, had been driving him for several days.
On the way back to London, the driver turned into a quiet, tree-lined lane. Five masked men got into the car and punched Luthra. They told the group they were only there for him.
Luthra said he knew within ten seconds that it was a kidnapping. He chose not to resist. He said he gave the men everything because there were five of them.
The attackers first took his special-edition Richard Mille watch. Police valued it at about £450,000. They then unlocked his phone using his Face ID.
From his Binance account, they withdrew assets worth just over $1.5 million. They also took roughly $600,000 in Ethereum from his Gate account. They then tried to reach his bank accounts.
Why the Hours After the Attack Mattered Most
After about half an hour, the men left with everyone’s phones. Police say the vehicle was left in the Five Mile Drive area of north Oxford. The group walked to a local police station.
The attack happened in the afternoon, but the group was still giving statements after midnight. Luthra had no internet access for that whole time. He could not warn anyone while the stolen funds were moving.
Luthra calls this his biggest mistake. He said that getting back to his hotel, opening his laptop and messaging his contacts at the exchanges might have saved much more money. Exchanges can usually freeze funds only while they remain on their platforms.
Once he had his devices back, Luthra contacted people at Binance and MEXC. Both exchanges froze some of the stolen funds. MEXC also shared data on where some of the money went.
Binance returned about $370,000 under a UK court order based on the Proceeds of Crime Act. Luthra says it was the first such order involving Binance. The London law firm Cooke, Young & Keidan secured the orders and handled the recovery.
Luthra says he has recovered just under $1 million in total. He declined to give an exact figure. A large share of the stolen money is still missing.
Police Case and Rise in Wrench Attacks
Thames Valley Police called the case a “complex investigation.” It has covered CCTV, number-plate cameras and crypto and financial inquiries. Officers arrested four men from London, Birmingham and Kent in November 2025. They were aged between 19 and 37 and were released on bail.
In December 2025, police charged Abdul Malik Cali, 24, with five counts of conspiracy to commit robbery. He was arrested at Heathrow Airport and remanded in custody, according to local reports. Luthra says more arrests have been made since then.
The trial was due to start this month. It has been moved to November 2027 because the court now needs five weeks instead of four. No slot that long was available sooner.
Luthra believes his public profile made him a target. He thinks the promoter who arranged the driver may have helped organize the attack. Police told him a robbery of this size was rare for Oxford in recent times.
Chainalysis counted a record $58 million stolen in wrench attacks in 2025. These are attacks where criminals use physical force to get crypto. The firm counted another $30 million in the first half of 2026, with France seeing the sharpest rise.
Luthra mentioned the kidnapping on X late last month. He noted that part of the stolen money had been frozen. The trial is now set for November 2027.
