Five arrests near Paris after robbery of money transporter

Created: 01/14/2023 15:18

Emergency services stand around the extinguished money transporter in Saarlouis.

© BeckerBredel/dpa/archive image

According to a report in the newspaper "Le Parisien", five suspects were arrested near Paris after the spectacular attack on a money transporter in Saarlouis, Saarland.

Two of the suspects are said to have been directly involved in the robbery, the newspaper reported on Saturday, citing legal sources.

According to this, they are members of organized crime in France who have already been convicted of similar crimes in the past.

Paris/Saarlouis - "These are older bank robbers who have recognized expertise in this area," the newspaper quoted a source close to the investigation as saying.

Two other arrested are said to belong to the same team.

The fifth perpetrator is said to have been on the edge of the incident.

The arrests by special police forces were made on Friday evening in Epinay and Saint-Denis near the French capital.

The act on Friday resulted in an exchange of fire and an explosion - the unknown had blown up the van and also stolen cash.

According to the police, they then fled in high-powered cars towards the French border.

The federal police and the French police took part in the large-scale manhunt for the fugitives.

A picture of the devastation remained at the crime scene: the burned-out money transporter was parked across the street, several other cars were charred, shell casings lay on the asphalt.

As the newspaper "Le Républicain Lorrain" reported, a burnt-out car was found in Boulay, Lorraine, which could be the getaway car of the perpetrators.

Boulay is on the Saarlouis-Metz road, not far from the access to the A4 motorway to Paris.

dpa