Thieves steal loot worth €400,000 from passengers on Riviera TGVs

Items included €70,000 watch plus wallets, jewellery, cash: victims invited to contact email address to find out if belongings retrieved

Officers said they had identified a “team of seasoned thieves” who had been operating for six years.
Martin Greenacre
Published Last updated

Police have arrested three men suspected of stealing items worth around €400,000 from passengers on TGVs between Paris, Nice and Geneva.

Officers said they had identified a “team of seasoned thieves” who had been operating for six years. One would reportedly dress up as a woman.

The investigation began in April when a woman’s bag was stolen in Aix-en-Provence, containing €50,000 in jewellery.

Surveillance footage from the station allowed police to identify the first suspect. Investigators said the men would use valid tickets to enter a train, find the first-class cars, and steal from bags under seats there before getting off at the next station.

They would then drop off the objects at an apartment in Marseille, where police found items such as wallets, sunglasses, jewellery, cameras and a €70,000 watch.

They also discovered €137,000 in cash and €240,000 placed in bank accounts.

The suspects, aged 40 to 57, are from Marseille or Nice. They are known to have been involved in previous robberies.

If you may have been a victim email: ddsp13-sd-delinquance-astucieuse@interieur.gouv.fr

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