The Paris prosecutor’s office also wants the 16 members of the cargo thieving gang to be given fines ranging from €3,000 to €60,000 as well as bans from entering French territory for 10 years.
The defendants, all aged between 23 and 51, have been in court since March 31 regarding accusations of aggravated theft and criminal association.
The method used by “les voltigeurs” was to pull off rolling heists after dark involving trucks carrying valuable goods.
As shown in the video below (which documents an attempted rollover raid in Romania in 2012), the criminals in the car behind the truck climb out of the sunroof and move onto the bonnet. In the case of the video, a second individual holds onto the thief trying to open the back of the trailer. However, in many cases, rope is used to try to secure the person opening the trailer doors.
It is believed “les voltigeurs” used similar tactics in its rolling heists.
According to reports in France, the gang are accused of making 21 night raids on motorways in Centre-Val de Loire, Picardie, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur and Ile-de-France.
The stolen goods, including Christian Dior products and expensive tech items, were then sold in Romania. The damage is said to amount to approximately €1.5 million.
