They first posed as potential buyers of luxury watches.
And they were not shy: from the height of their 14 years, when they entered an opulent jewelry-watch store in the 8th arrondissement of Paris, they assumed the look of dandies.
To then draw a 30 centimeter knife blade and grab several Rolexes.
Read alsoExplosion of violent thefts of luxury watches in Paris
These two minors were indicted on March 30, one for “theft with a weapon”, and the other for “theft with a weapon and intentional violence”, indicated to
Le Figaro
a judicial source close to the file.
In accordance with the requisitions of the prosecution, the perpetrator of the violence was placed in pre-trial detention, while the first was placed under judicial control.
Increase in violent robberies
Not everything had gone as planned: the saleswoman had not let it go.
Then the two teenagers grabbed her.
One of them had taken advantage of the fight to pocket eight “Rolex” brand watches.
Harpooned by only one of the two criminals, the shopkeeper had nevertheless managed to press the button supposed to close the security lock.
The younger of the two college students will remain stuck there, and the police only had to pick him up when they arrived.
As part of this attack, a judicial investigation was opened on March 25.
The minor who had managed to escape was quickly identified by the investigators.
The two thugs having worked with their faces uncovered, the saleswoman, for her part, had had no trouble confirming that it was indeed her attacker.
Last year, in Paris, a hundred complaints for thefts of luxury watches whose value was greater than 5000 euros had been identified, assures
Le Figaro
a police source, deploring a “
new form of delinquency
”.
Because while watch theft has always existed, the modus operandi has evolved: "
we have gone from so-called 'pick-pocketing', where your gaze is averted to rob you with agility, to thefts committed with violence in halls of building, car parks, where robbers surround you and make you lose consciousness to rob you
, ”says this same source.
Violent techniques against the current of those that were used in the 2010s: “
the processes used were nicknamed 'Algerian'.
It was for young people aged 20-25 to commit thefts with great agility and dexterity
”.
Today, the profile of thieves, too, has changed: "
in 45%
" of cases, the bandits are minors, "
easily released later
", estimates this source.
