International car trafficking from Gironde: 18 defendants tried in Bordeaux
Eighteen people have appeared before Bordeaux's criminal court since 7 September for a vast network of luxury car thefts dismantled in 2024.
Eighteen defendants for a network of vehicle thefts exported as far as Ukraine
Eighteen people have appeared since Monday 7 September before the first chamber (Jirs) of the judicial court of Bordeaux for a vast international car trafficking operation dismantled in spring 2024, according to sudouest.fr. Six of them remain in pre-trial detention.
The case dates back to spring 2023, when gendarmes from the Libourne research unit, in Gironde, notice a surge in thefts by "home-jacking" and identify a trio of criminals running an automotive garage in the region. They are suspected of being behind numerous vehicle thefts, particularly in the Arcachon basin.
Lexus, BMW and Audi stolen without break-ins
The vehicles targeted are mostly high-end cars: Lexus, BMW, Audi, Toyota. They are stolen using the so-called "mouse jacking" technique, which involves using software to unlock doors, start the engine and reprogram a key, all without breaking in.
The trio collaborates with a small garage operator in Lormont, in the Bordeaux suburbs, tasked with disposing of the vehicles equipped with false registration plates and whose serial numbers have been re-stamped with a laser. Around fifty cars have been routed to the Paris region, where they were stored before being resold in Belgium, Germany and Eastern European countries, as far as Ukraine.
A debt to the Vor mafia at the root of the turning point
The network members met in prison. Upon his release in August 2023, the Lormont garage operator—already with a criminal record including 13 convictions—is in debt to the Vors, a criminal organisation from the former Soviet space, in the amount of 230,000 euros, having served as an intermediary in money laundering operations. Cornered by his creditors, he agrees to become involved in the vehicle trafficking.
In December 2023, the case is referred to the public prosecutor's office of the Specialised Interregional Jurisdiction (Jirs) in Bordeaux, which opens a judicial investigation for handling stolen goods in an organised group, criminal conspiracy and fraud. Gendarmes from the Research Section then conduct surveillance operations day and night, combined with telephone interception, to map out the different channels and the precise role of each protagonist.
Raids, seizures and arrests in spring 2024
The investigation comes to fruition in spring 2024: cash, computer equipment, registration plates and forged registration documents are seized during raids. All suspects are arrested.
At the hearing, presiding judge Catherine Bonnici questions in priority the Lormont garage operator, presented as the linchpin of the network. "When you're not stealing, it's you who gives the orders," the magistrate notes. "I accept responsibility, I had no other choice. I did everything to pay off my debt," the defendant replies, described by some as a "puppet". "Today, I have the will to turn the page."
The trial is to continue until the end of the week.
Source: Google News FR — Crime (fr)