In mid-July, the man had stolen a bag containing 14kg of gold from a van, worth more than 588,000 euros. He will be tried on August 28.
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A man will be tried at the end of August for the theft of a bag of gold in the middle of Paris in mid-July, for damages of more than 588,000 euros, franceinfo learned on Monday July 24 from a source familiar with the matter.
On Tuesday, July 11 in the morning, a company transporting precious goods went to the company Av Gold Team, a gold trading company located rue Vivienne in Paris in the 2nd arrondissement. The two conveyors take care of a bag containing 14 kg of gold worth 588,372 euros intended for a German company. As they had placed the bag in the secure airlock of their van, they were stopped by a woman, accompanied by a 6-year-old child, telling her that one of the vehicle’s tires was deflating. The two men then change the tire located opposite the secure airlock and resume their rounds. It was at the end of the day, when taking inventory of their load, that they noticed that the bag of gold was missing.
The investigation, carried out after the complaint for theft was filed at the 8th arrondissement police station, made it possible to trace the man suspected of being the author. CCTV footage was able to target an individual stooping to the flat tire of the van before driving off. He returned a moment later, with other clothes, to the side door, opened it, plunged his hands inside, before leaving the place running to recover his vehicle.
Judgment postponed to August 28
The suspect was identified by the Bac as being a Chilean national. Located near Massy, in Essonne, the man was arrested on Thursday. During the search carried out at his home, several bags of jewelry, weighing a total of 2.7 kg, were seized, as well as 1,780 euros in cash. The clothes worn during the theft were also found. The investigation revealed that a transfer of money to Chile had been made just after the events for an amount of 10,500 euros.
During his hearing, the suspect admitted the facts but assured that he did not know what the bag he stole contained. He also certifies that he did not puncture the tires of the conveyor van. Placed in police custody, he was referred for an immediate appearance, before being placed in pre-trial detention pending his trial postponed to August 28. The man is also subject to an Obligation to Leave the Territory (OQTF) with detention.