It is a particularly popular gift for children (and adults) that we love to find on Christmas Day at the foot of the tree.
But not just during the holiday season.
Last August, in a truck parked in Saint-Mard (Seine-et-Marne), unknown people cut a tarpaulin to grab… several Lego pallets, which they then loaded into utility vehicles.
Estimated value of the loot: more than 20,000 euros.
If the famous little bricks have never been found, three men suspected of theft were arrested last Tuesday by the gendarmes.
They will be judged in early January.
It all started on August 16, in the Fontaine du berger business area in Saint-Mard.
A road set parked at this location is targeted by criminals who slash the tarpaulins to seize its cargo, Lego boxes.
The gendarmes of the group of attacks on the property of the Meaux research brigade are responsible for the investigation, along with those of the Paris research section.
Seven flights in Île-de-France in two months
Their investigations allow them to identify three suspects, who would have been rampant, not only in Saint-Mard, but in several other areas usually frequented by heavy goods vehicles in the Paris region. The soldiers charge them at least seven freight flights between October and November, again in Saint-Mard, but also in Servon, Janvry in Essonne or Vémars in Val-d'Oise. They also discovered a storage location for stolen goods near Aubervilliers (Seine-Saint-Denis).
On Tuesday, November 30, the gendarmes believe they have enough information to arrest their suspects.
Given their profile, they decided to call on the staff of the Specialized Protection Platoon of the Gendarmerie (PSPG), elite counterterrorism units of the French National Gendarmerie responsible for the protection of civilian nuclear installations and specialized in the field of intervention.
Two of them were arrested in Torcy and in the Meaux sector.
28,000 euros worth of cocaine discovered during searches
The third was taken from his cell in Fleury-Mérogis (Essonne). A fortnight earlier, he had been arrested during a trivial control while he was the subject of an arrest warrant in the context of another case. The searches carried out by the military proved successful. Fan, flat screen, small appliances, but also 2360 euros in cash are discovered, as well as 315 grams of cocaine, the resale value of which is estimated at 28,000 euros.
During police custody, the three men, aged in their thirties, did not elaborate on explanations.
They were referred last Friday to the Meaux public prosecutor's office and were to be tried in the wake of immediate appearance.
Their trial was finally postponed in early January.
Pending the hearing, all three were remanded in custody.
