For several years, bandits from Eastern countries, Italy, the Maghreb, seasoned, "pros", rather sporty, very mobile, combed several cities in Europe, including Paris and its Golden Triangle (8th ).
Their targets? Wealthy tourists wearing Rolex, Patek Philippe, Richard Mille on their wrists, most of which are estimated at between 10,000 and 100,000 euros - when the most expensive can exceed a million euros. In Paris, they watched for their prey around the palaces and bars and restaurants of the 8th century, one of the richest districts of the capital, between the avenues Montaigne, Georges V and the Champs-Elysées.
Local residents, businessmen, who may also be fans of luxury watches, or more “lambda” Parisians who had saved up to wear a little piece of Swiss watchmaking on their wrists, were also their target, behind the scenes.
Less experienced, more violent and more spontaneous thugs
For more than a year, in the famous Golden Triangle, the situation has changed. Now, there is a new wave of thugs, young people from Paris and its suburbs, sometimes minors, anchored in Ile-de-France, less experienced and suddenly more violent, more spontaneous, even opportunist, who are rife. And which raises the figures for this type of theft to more than 20% in a year.
“We have seen these delinquents arrive in this segment since the summer of 2019, remembers Commissioner Julien Herbaut, boss of Territorial Security (ST). But here, with this particular summer, the end of confinement and the heatwave, we are at a peak. These thieves don't just target watches, it says. A beautiful laptop or a piece of jewelry can also interest them.
Here at the Sûreté territoriale, in the heart of Paris, a dozen police officers specializing in the theft of luxury watches, who have a good knowledge of the environment and follow its developments, are hard at work. Their ground, however, stops at overpriced watches. Beyond 500,000 euros the hit, the Paris prosecutor's office entrusts the investigations to the PJ, in particular the BRB (Brigade for the repression of banditry).
In recent months, between June and July, the Sûreté has inherited 27 cases of theft of watches with violence, including a Breguet at 90,000 euros. "We have clarified eleven of these cases", rejoices Julien Herbaut.
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On July 28, several perpetrators of watch thefts were arrested in the 8th arrondissement. “There is never only one thread to pull to find their trace, eludes Commissioner Herbaud. It is a mixture of field surveys, surveillance, video surveillance, telephony. "
Arrests made in flagrante delicto
That evening, young Parisian thieves - one of them, aged 25 and living in the 17th century - attacked a tourist wearing a Richard Mille at 80,000 euros in the Golden Triangle. They had been arrested in flagrante delicto by the police of the Paris Securitization and Intervention Company (CSI75) and the 8th century anti-crime squad. Two hours later, a Parisian was stripped of his Breguet, Valeur? 90,000 euros. But the thieves had vanished.
“However, it is not easy to tear off a watch, underlines Commissioner Herbaut. They are equipped with a locking system. The thieves of Breguet, pros, were found a few days later by the ST, arrested, brought back and placed in police custody. Last Friday, the three perpetrators were tried and sentenced to prison.
The fact remains that the underground luxury watch market is not about to dry up… And the “watch police”, as the thugs call them still have their work cut out for them… The luxury watch is an international underground market and above all a tax-exempt product just like a work of art. Who buys them? Who resells them? Where exactly does it go? "We did not succeed in really establishing the route", regrets Julien Herbaut.
Stolen watches: why Rolexes are the object of all the covetousness
