Paris Police Bust Major France-Morocco Stolen Goods Ring

Late October will mark the end of repeated thefts of objects and their resale in Morocco by a large fencing network, reports Le Parisien. It was the police officers of the "sensitive neighborhoods" group of the Paris territorial security (ST75) who achieved this feat.

They were faced with a solidly built chain network. Minors and young men steal the objects. The fence, in turn, sets an appointment every three days with his "superior": the centralizer, who collects the loot from several other Île-de-France fences, generally buys the objects for a third of their value. And, employees of several import-export companies making trips between France and Morocco are co-opted to fraudulently transport the goods.

The fence and his trusted accomplice, as well as the centralizer, all in their thirties, are Moroccans. They were arrested and placed in pre-trial detention. As for the "banker", a young adult with a student visa, he is under electronic surveillance.

Thefts have increased by 12% between 2018 and 2019 in Paris due to the activity of this large fencing network. "And yet, many victims are tourists who do not take the time to file a complaint," said a Parisian commissioner.