Seven people have been indicted, two of whom have been imprisoned, after the dismantling in Besançon of a vast network of driving license fraud, public prosecutor Étienne Manteaux announced on Thursday.
The suspects have been indicted for organized fraud, Etienne Manteaux said at a press conference.
The two people placed in pre-trial detention are the manager of several driving schools located in Besançon and a driving license inspector working for the departmental direction of the territories (DDT) of Doubs, he added.
Anonymous letters
The other five people were placed under judicial control.
An eighth indictment was pronounced against SARL Driving school Bisontine as a legal person, added the magistrate.
The case started in the summer of 2022, when two people denounced the conditions in which the driving license tests took place.
The Besançon prosecutor's office then received anonymous letters.
The judicial investigation opened in November 2022 had brought to light a vast network of driving license fraud.
"
People who have failed the driving license exam several times have informed the manager of the driving school that they were ready to take it again with a conciliatory inspector, for a fee," explained Étienne Manteaux
.
“
Very quickly, a large number of people from all over France contacted the driving school to register for the exam.
The purchase price of the driving licence
”, which reached 2,000 euros, “
made it possible to remunerate the intermediary, the driving school and the driving license inspector
”, added the magistrate.
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“
Between 200 and 300 permits were issued fraudulently for damage amounting to 400,000 euros
,” said Juliette Dupoux, head of departmental security at the Besançon police station.
More than 300,000 euros in cash were seized, as well as 115,000 euros from the driving school's bank account and 73,000 euros from the manager's home.
“
The investigation must now identify all the people who obtained the license fraudulently so that the title can be canceled administratively.
The beneficiaries of this fraud (…) mostly do not speak French
”and have only received limited driving training, she added.