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A young man suspected member of a gang of “Irish bitumeurs” arrested

A 22-year-old Irishman will be tried on June 20, 2022, at the Chartres court, for seven offenses, including money laundering, concealed work, deception and fraud in an organized gang. He was arrested on Sunday, January 9, during a check at London station (Great Britain), by the air and border police (PAF).

He had been the subject of a search warrant since the opening of an investigation, led by the territorial brigade of Auneau-Bleury-Saint-Symphorien and the research brigade of Lucé, and the complaint of a local company , July 1, 2021.

Invoice of €11,880

In a hearing, the manager of the company explained that he had been canvassed on June 23, at 11:30 a.m., by a man offering tar at an unbeatable price, assuring that it was the surplus from a nearby construction site. .

“The bitumen seller came back later, having an employee sign a blank order form, without installation date or price, in the absence of the manager,” says Commander Matthieu Rousseau, head of Lucé’s company.

On June 23, at 3 p.m., three men arrived with a truck, dumping asphalt over 900 m². The invoice for €11,880, or €11 per m², was presented, but the manager, noting the poor quality of the bitumen, refused to pay. And a complaint was filed.

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Twenty bank accounts

The investigations of the gendarmes of Lucé’s company directed them towards an alleged gang called “Irish bitumeurs” (read below). One of the three suspects was quickly identified.

According to Lucé’s officer, “acting under cover of a self-employed company, he is known to French justice for traffic offences, a commercial offence, similar scams in several departments…”.

Other clues about the suspect highlighted repeated alleged large-scale scams: “He had more than twenty bank accounts. »

The magistrates of the parquet floor of Chartres authorized the investigators to refine the exploitation of its accounts. According to their investigations, at least €582,532 were collected from a file of 124 customers, including some in Eure-et-Loir, individuals, businesses and communities. The gendarmes believe that these are all “potential victims”.

Civil parties

Commander Rousseau adds: “Of this amount of €582,532, at least €380,395 was transferred, by transfer, to Irish, English, Slovak and Polish accounts. The suspect allegedly never declared income or employees.

In this procedure, the Urssaf and the DGFIP (Directorate General of Public Finances) are civil parties.

A team of “Irish asphalters” was recently turned away by suspicious contractors while prospecting in the Fontenay-sur-Eure business area.

Alert the population. For the gendarmerie, this case should serve to alert the population: “The victims contacted think they are dealing with professionals. In case of refusal of payment by check or cash, the scammers can be threatening. The bands, mobile under the seal of ephemeral companies, carry out construction sites quickly before disappearing. “If in doubt, dial 17.”

400 organized bands of “Irish asphalters” hunted down

The central office for the fight against illegal employment (oClti) is tracking down more than four hundred organized gangs of “Irish bitumen workers”. The communication officer of the office specifies: “there are large families and even inside, several bands. These Irish crooks have been well known in Europe since 2012: “They recruit labor in Slovakia or Poland. They operate in several countries and are linked to the Italian mafia. In France, victims have been recorded in particular in Marne, Orne, Eure, Aisne, Aude, Gard… The methodology is always the same: “They offer asphalt, either of poor quality , or they do not respect the technique, in particular the number of layers. The bitumen crumbles very quickly. According to the oClti, the scourge is substantial in France but few victims declare themselves. These criminal groups would be multifaceted: drugs, rhinoceros horn trafficking, sequestration, kidnapping…

Thierry Delaunay

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