17 suspects linked to high-end car theft and trafficking – causing an estimated financial damage of €2 million – were arrested in late May in France and elsewhere, the Bordeaux Public Prosecutor's Office announced on Friday.
The suspects, believed to be part of an "organised criminal group," targeted specific models of high-end vehicles for their identified "digital security flaws," stated Bordeaux Public Prosecutor Frédérique Porterie in a press release.
The criminal network included nationals from several Eastern European countries, and reportedly sold these vehicles by using an elaborate registration fraud scheme. They moved the vehicles into "trafficking networks" in France, several West African countries and Eastern Europe.
The investigation was launched in February by the Bordeaux Inter-regional Specialised Jurisdiction (ISJ) following a series of thefts, including several in the Gironde region in late 2023.
In total, more than 60 victims have been identified with an estimated total loss of €2 million.
Of the 17 suspects apprehended on Tuesday by French police, along with Belgian and Spanish officers, 11 have been presented to the ISJ's investigating judge in Bordeaux. They are expected to face charges for organised vehicle theft, organised fencing and criminal conspiracy.
