Authorities have announced the indictment of seven suspects as part of an investigation into high-profile crooks.
This gang used the technique of the "rotten transaction", that is to say an exchange with fakes, to steal diamonds, some of which are worth several million euros.
The trick has already been illustrated in a few films: exchanging fake jewelry or fake banknotes for real ones after a sleight of hand.
High-level criminals, who had pocketed millions of euros thanks to this technique of "rip deal" ("rotten transaction") on diamonds, were arrested and indicted for "criminal conspiracy to commit a crime. crime "and" organized gang fraud ".
This was announced Wednesday evening by the prosecutor's office of the Jirs (specialized inter-regional jurisdiction) of Nancy.
Exchanged for an empty box
The "rip deal", a very skilful swindle to discretely seize precious goods, requires preparation, patter and dexterity.
The suspects were not lacking: they are suspected of having stolen in January in Barcelona a diamond of 12 million euros or in Cannes, last summer, another diamond of 101 carats estimated at 4.5 million euros.
With a sleight of hand, they traded it for the same box, but empty.
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Other unsuccessful attempts are also blamed on them in Dubai, Frankfurt and Zurich, to the point that European investigators have therefore coordinated to find and arrest them.
It was in France that these crooks were based.
"Only" 10,000 euros found
A dozen suspects were arrested a few days ago by the judicial police, mainly in the Paris region and in the Doubs, and seven of them are therefore prosecuted and imprisoned.
They are Romanian and Serbian criminals, perfectly trained, members of a criminal organization and who have placed their profits in real estate.
Only 10,000 (real) euros were found in search.
The famous diamonds have not been recovered.