They are suspected of having stolen luxury leather goods from the workshops of LVMH, Hermès and Chanel: nine people have been indicted, and seven of them incarcerated, AFP learned Saturday from the gendarmerie and the Paris prosecutor's office.
In total, the amount of luxury items stolen "amounts to more than 3.5 million euros," said the gendarmes. A total of eleven thefts, committed in Sarthe, Loir-et-Cher and Indre, are accused of them. Among the nine people indicted, including for "theft and concealment in an organized gang", seven were placed in provisional detention and two under judicial control, said the Paris prosecutor's office. They were arrested Monday and Tuesday in Yvelines, Val-d'Oise and Loiret.
Some, aged between 25 and 35, are suspected of having committed the thefts, the others, aged 45-55, of being the receivers. It is an "extremely professional team, which was going to strike far from its bases" to avoid being detected, said to AFP, General Marc de Tarlé, head of the Central Office for the fight against itinerant delinquency (OCLDI), in charge of the investigation, opened in August 2022, under the authority of the Jirs-Junalco of Paris.
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Their "attacks were very targeted, very fast, about ten minutes," the general added. The criminals acted at night. "After attacking the perimeter walls, doors and security curtains of the garment rooms using professional tools", they stole leather goods "stored in the vaults".
They used "heavy-duty vehicles" and "stolen vans", which they then "destroyed". "Leather goods from burglaries", 40,000 euros, nine vehicles, burglary equipment and GPS beacon detectors, were seized during the searches, said the gendarmerie.
