A ransom note demanding £50 million in cryptocurrency has been linked to the kidnapping of Nancy Guthrie, the 34-year-old oil executive snatched from her Mayfair flat three days ago. The document, typed on plain paper and delivered to her husband’s Knightsbridge office, carries the hallmark of a sophisticated operation. Sources confirm the note warns against police involvement and threatens harm if any 'tracking devices' are deployed.
Scotland Yard’s counter-terror command has been mobilised, a move that suggests the case is being treated as more than a simple ransom grab. Guthrie’s employer, North Sea Energy, has gone silent. The company’s shares dropped 8% in early trading.
The note’s demand for Monero, a privacy-focused cryptocurrency, points to perpetrators with knowledge of financial systems. This is not amateur hour. The counter-terror unit’s involvement raises the spectre of political motivation.
Guthrie’s work on Arctic drilling rights has made enemies in both Moscow and environmental circles. No group has claimed responsibility, but the note’s language echoes previous communiques from a shadowy collective known as 'The Ledger.' They target corporate elites and demand payments in untraceable currency.
The family lawyer confirmed the note's authenticity but declined to comment on negotiations. Meanwhile, surveillance footage shows a black van leaving Guthrie’s street minutes after the abduction. The plates are false.
The trail is cold. But the clock is ticking. Every hour that passes increases the risk that this ends in a body bag.
