Two French people, suspected of being linked to a hostage-taking in a watchmaking company on Thursday evening in Switzerland, were taken into custody after a shooting with the police in Pontarlier (Doubs), indicated on Friday (January 7th). corroborating sources.
Read alsoHostage-taking and theft of gold near Lyon: five people imprisoned
Thursday around 5.30 p.m., "
an employee of a subcontracting company in the watch industry was taken hostage with his partner at his home (...) by two individuals armed with a pistol
", indicated the public prosecutor. Switzerland and the Neuchâtel police in a press release. The couple were taken to the factory in Le Locle, a Swiss commune on the French border, where two other employees were found, also taken hostage.
"
Under the threat, the perpetrators were opened several coffers of the company which contained precious metals
", but "
a silent alarm went off
", and "
a large-scale police operation
" was launched, according to the press release.
Probably warned by accomplices outside of the arrival of a security guard, the criminals fled, attacking a female driver in order to steal her car.
"
The booty could not be taken away
", stressed the Swiss authorities.
"Very high-level criminals"
Very shocked but not injured, the four hostages were "
kidnapped for nearly two hours
", according to the Swiss press agency ATS. Warned by their Swiss counterparts, the Doubs police officers spotted and pursued the stolen vehicle which ended up in a dead end in Pontarlier. "
The stolen BMW struck with great force the police vehicle, which retreated 10 meters
," said the prosecutor of Besançon, Etienne Manteaux.
A policeman "
took out his submachine gun and emptied the 30 ammunition from his magazine exclusively on the engine block to stop the vehicle
", as well as four ammunition in the rear window of the car with a handgun to finally succeed in stop and arrest these suspects "
hooded and armed
" without injuring them, according to the magistrate. "
This policeman showed exceptional coolness
", while one of the criminals directed a handgun in his direction, without using it, underlined Etienne Manteaux. Their custody in particular for "
attempted homicide
" on the police and "
kidnapping and kidnapping
" in Switzerland was to be extended Friday evening.
Aged 35 and 46, these “
very high-level criminals
” each have a dozen convictions to their credit, in particular for acts of violence and escape, noted the prosecutor.
The oldest was released from prison in 2020 after a conviction, in the Loire, to 25 years of criminal imprisonment, of which two-thirds of safety.
At the beginning of November, six criminals had already taken the family of the director of a watchmaking company hostage in Bassecourt, in the Swiss Jura.
They had stolen the precious materials intended for the production of the company before fleeing to France, forcing a roadblock and injuring a customs officer.
Their two vehicles and weapons had been found charred in the Belfort region.
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