With the return of tourists to the capital, the police have carried out several anti-scam operations.
Two men and a woman suspected of having defrauded tourists at the Eiffel Tower were arrested Thursday in Seine-Saint-Denis, AFP learned from a police source.
The three people, from Romania, were arrested in Aulnay-sous-Bois and Drancy. They were remanded in custody.
More than 16,000 euros in cash, three luxury vehicles, foreign currencies and money transfer slips were seized during the searches, according to the source.
The three people are suspected of having abused tourists near the Champ de Mars, with the hat game. The principle: promise the victim to be able to easily earn money by finding a ball under a cup.
False players, manipulators and watchers
In reality, the only winners are the accomplices of the one who handles the cups. They play the role of fake gamblers and entice tourists to gamble money, the source says.
“The entry ticket was 50 euros and each table could bring in up to 1,000 euros per hour,” she continues.
The investigation led by the sub-directorate for the fight against irregular immigration of the Paris police headquarters began in October 2021. The investigators had identified “half a dozen tables” around which “gravitated around forty individuals” false players, manipulators, but also lookouts, detailed the source. All were from Romania.
In recent weeks, the police headquarters has carried out several operations to combat scams or street sales in this sector where tourists are returning with the end of the Covid-19 health crisis.
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