300 Belgian and Luxembourg jewellers unite on WhatsApp against thefts
Nearly 300 jewellers from Luxembourg and Belgium have formed a cross-border network to prevent thefts, with several arrests already resulting from the initiative.
A WhatsApp network of 300 jewellers to counter burglaries
Nearly 300 Luxembourg and Belgian jewellers have grouped together in a WhatsApp group to combat thefts targeting their profession, according to Le Quotidien. Behind this initiative is Sandra Ann Demuynck, a Belgian jewellery wholesaler, whose background is marked by a traumatic experience she suffered in Italy seven years ago.
"When I was returning to Belgium with a suitcase full of jewellery I had just purchased, it was stolen. All the jewellery disappeared," she recounts.
A context marked by soaring gold prices
The price of gold per gramme currently stands at around 110 euros, a value that has sparked criminal interest. Gold jewellery is among the preferred targets during home burglaries. Some criminals target jewellery shops directly, despite the reinforced security systems — alarms, bulletproof display cases, surveillance cameras — that these businesses have in place.
For Demuynck, a theft amounts to more than a financial loss. "The impact goes far beyond the material aspect. There is a genuine sense of frustration and it is very difficult to recover from it, to resume your business without thinking about it," she insists.
A group created in March, now 300 strong
After a burglary suffered by one of her colleagues, the wholesaler decided to take action. Last March, she created a WhatsApp group initially bringing together 34 of her clients, with the aim of exchanging images from surveillance cameras and reporting any suspicious behaviour.
"Since criminals often operate in several jewellery shops, sharing information about their practices allows everyone to be more vigilant," she explains.
The group rapidly expanded. It now brings together nearly 300 Belgian and Luxembourg jewellers, to which are added one Dutch retailer and one police officer.
Several arrests already to the network's credit
This cross-border cooperation has already led to several arrests. Demuynck cites the case of two women who, last April, had visited eleven jewellery shops and committed thefts in five of them.
"After seeing their images circulate in the group, a jeweller recognised them when they entered his shop. He discreetly monitored them, and then, when they left, he followed them. He was able to identify and report the vehicle they were travelling in. Thanks to this approach, they were arrested," she recalls.
She also mentions another jeweller who contacted her after spotting two suspicious individuals in his shop — already seen in images shared in the group. "He alerted the police and these individuals, involved in other offences, were able to be apprehended," Demuynck notes.
Providing useful information to law enforcement
For the Belgian wholesaler, the aim of this initiative remains above all practical: to provide authorities with concrete information about the offences committed, the shops targeted, and the modus operandi of the thieves.
"I am not seeking to receive a trophy, but I must acknowledge that I am quite proud of the results achieved," she concludes.
Source: Le Quotidien