Two thieves sentenced for 126 car seat thefts in Île-de-France
Two men have been sentenced to three years in prison, two of which are to be served immediately, for stealing 126 rear car seats in four months in Île-de-France. This lucrative trafficking, fuelled by the easy resale of these parts, caused over 700,000 euros in damages.
Dismantling of a car seat theft network
According to TF1 Info, two young men aged 21 and 22 have been sentenced to three years in prison, two of which to be served immediately, for stealing 126 rear seats in four months between April and August 2026. The network operated in Île-de-France and targeted Citroën C3s and Renault Clio 5s, vehicles whose seats detach easily.
Aided by a third accomplice, the two thieves travelled through several municipalities with systematic plunder. The seats were resold at 200 euros each on second-hand classified websites between individuals, generating significant demand. The estimated damage exceeds 700,000 euros, to which are added repair costs for victims: some vehicles required work costing 7,000 euros, exceeding their residual value.
The gendarmes of Coulommiers and Meaux conducted three months of investigations combining night-time surveillance, municipal video protection and surveillance operations. The three perpetrators were arrested in flagrante delicto in August 2026 as they were transporting a batch of seats seized on the spot. "We conducted a few night-time surveillance operations. We were obviously assisted by video protection from the municipalities. And from there, we pursued our investigations through surveillance and shadowing," explained Captain Romain Freytag, deputy commander of the Coulommiers gendarmerie company.
The driver of this trafficking lay in the lucrative resale of these parts. On the second-hand market, some buyers purchase professional two-seater vehicles at a low price, then install rear seats in them in order to convert them to five-seaters. This conversion increases the vehicle's value by 20 to 25 per cent, offering immediate profit to resellers.
Victims multiplied. A garage owner in Écouen, in Val-d'Oise, received at least one vehicle per week stripped of its seat, notably one belonging to one of his employees vandalised at four in the morning outside his home. The thieves cut electrical wires, destroying airbag systems and rendering the vehicles partially unusable. Marie Vasseur, a resident of Juilly in Seine-et-Marne, discovered her Citroën C3 deprived of its entire rear: seats, boot and wiring. The insurer deemed the damage economically beyond repair.
Tried in summary proceedings, the two young men had previous convictions for aggravated theft and drug trafficking. One of them reportedly admitted to his actions during the hearing: his solicitor reported that he had apologised to a victim who had spent 11,000 euros on repairs after going into debt. The third accomplice will be tried later in 2027.
Source: TF1 Info