The report, which franceinfo was able to confirm on Thursday, comes from the information, intelligence and strategic analysis service on organized crime (Sirasco).
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Twenty-two professional football players were robbed in 2021 in France against 13 in 2020, franceinfo learned on Thursday April 21 from the information, intelligence and strategic analysis service on organized crime (Sirasco), confirming information from Journal Le Figaro. Since the start of 2022, seven footballers have already been robbed. These figures were revealed in an internal note distributed at the beginning of April to all the services of the central direction of the judicial police (DCPJ) by Sirasco. Franceinfo was able to have them confirmed.
“It’s a phenomenon”finds with franceinfo Commissioner William Hippert, head of Sirasco. “There are more and more teams of criminals, well organized, who use a precise modus operandi”, he adds. The commissioner mentions in particular a strong ability to obtain private information, such as the player’s address or his geographical position: “You have to be well informed about the player’s presence or not.”
“Sometimes criminals go so far as to approach the players’ close entourage, family or friends, to obtain information. They also go to their social networks.”
William Hippert, Chief of the Sirascoat franceinfo
These burglaries of star footballers very often represent damages of several hundred thousand euros, as in March 2021, when Paris Saint-Germain player Angel Di Maria suffered damages of around 500,000 euros. “Perpetrators will target luxury items”explains William Hippert. “They know they’re going to find fine watches, leather goods, jewelry, even cash.”
Investigators point out, however, that this phenomenon is not Franco-French. In March, in Manchester (England), the player of the France team Paul Pogba was notably robbed of his world champion football medal.