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In Paris, luxury watches are the target of well-rehearsed thieves. Attacks have multiplied in recent years to such an extent that the authorities have set up a specialized unit to fight against these acts.
Increasingly violent, the scourge of luxury watch theft has plagued Paris in recent years. In response, the prefecture decided to set up a specialized unit. Each year, they carry out hundreds of surveys in all the districts of the capital. The difficulty for the police is to spot offenders who engage in the code of organized crime. “They are able to engage in real spinning, surveillance and take action in a coordinated manner. The ambition is to dry up the entire sector at both ends: thieves and concealment sectors”details Julien Herbaut, head of the territorial security of Paris.
A work that is bearing fruit according to the authorities with a 20% drop in thefts between 2021 and 2022. A gang of six young people, perpetrators of 14 attacks in a few months, had significant media resonance. The court released an original piece of evidence: a rap clip that almost sounds like a confession to their violent methods. They were sentenced to four to six years in prison. “They know the codes, they won’t hit a brand that’s worthless“, underlines Gérard Vautrin, watchmaker. Since the beginning of the year, 60% of cases of theft of luxury watches in Paris have been solved. A hundred offenders are behind bars.