Four men suspected of trafficking in gold, which they smelted illegally and exported in the form of ingots abroad via Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport, were arrested and placed under judicial supervision, a t – we learned this Friday from the Bobigny prosecutor’s office.
It took long months for investigators from the Roissy border police to trace this organization, following a first alert from airport customs in July 2020.
A traveler spotted with a one kilo ingot on him
Equipped with a one kilo ingot valued at over 53,000 euros which had been handed to him “within the airport”, a traveler was then preparing to take a commercial flight to Dubai .
The investigation led to the discovery of clandestine workshops and the seizure of jewelry, goldsmith’s material and approximately 72,000 euros in cash.
“It’s a band that collects stolen objects and melts them in a traditional way. They had a rolling mill to crush chains and make wire, carbon crucibles to put it all in a 1,000 degree oven, and molds. . But it was not a super quality gold, “said a police source.
Two clandestine workshops in the Paris region
According to the first elements of the investigation, a clandestine workshop tucked away in a shop in the 18th arrondissement of Paris was used as a foundry. The sponsor was in charge of exports, the store manager connecting clients with the undeclared goldsmith, and the latter processing and reselling the gold.
A second gold founder, who worked in a clandestine workshop in a garage in Pierrefitte-sur-Seine (Seine-Saint-Denis) was also arrested, but had no connection with the alleged sponsor.
Suspects placed under judicial supervision
Aged 39 to 48 years, the suspects are targeted by a preliminary investigation for smuggling and organized gang export of prohibited goods, aggravated money laundering, participation in a criminal association with a view to preparing a crime punishable by ten years of imprisonment and execution of covert work.
All placed under judicial control, they were summoned in June to be tried before the criminal court. Three of them have no criminal record.
–
