The confinement was barely completed when the thefts of luxury watches resumed. Last Monday, May 11, three Rolexes worth more than 10,000 euros were stolen. It was first the manager of a store located in rue Richard-Lenoir (11th) who was the victim of two criminals, around 7:30 p.m. One of the thieves held the victim by holding him at the level of the throat, while the second robbed him of his Rolex watch and his telephone. They then fled with a scooter.
The same day, around 3 a.m., on avenue Victor-Hugo (Paris 16th), a woman was attacked in the middle of the street, near her home. A man threatened her with a handgun while the second man held a knife in his hand. They snatched his Rolex watch and his phone from him.
Between the two, around 9 p.m., a man in a Mercedes 4x4 car was also relieved of his precious tocante.
If the first two files remain pending, this last case was clarified in 72 hours by investigators from the specialized brigade of territorial security in Paris created in 2015 to deal with the resurgence of this type of facts, particularly in vogue in because of the gains generated by these objects sometimes worth almost a million euros.
"We retraced the route of the victim and we were certain that it had been followed for several minutes by the thieves," comments Commissioner Julien Herbaut, head of territorial security 75. This made it possible to identify a car and get back on a first suspect. Aged 36 and living in Colombes (Hauts-de-Seine), he was arrested last Wednesday evening at his home.
Two men arrested in Colombes and Nanterre, "specialists"
During the search, the Rolex in question was not found. But eight other luxury watches and photo equipment valued at around 100,000 euros were seized by officials. Two watches in particular had been stolen at the end of April in Paris and Brussels (Belgium). "Given their dexterity at the time of the flight, we suspected that they were specialists," argued Commissioner Herbaut.
After the first phone call in Colombes, the police continued their investigations and arrested his accomplice, 31 years old and living in Nanterre. At his home, the Rolex stolen on May 11 was found and returned to the victim. "The spoils are generally sold out very quickly, which is why we have to be very reactive," continues the head of territorial security in Paris.
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The duo were brought to court this weekend and taken into custody.
Stolen watches: why Rolexes are the object of all lust
