Striker Kylian Mbappe, along with many rappers, business owners and rich people, were identified as the targets of a dangerous criminal gang in France, led by an 18-year-old man.
According to Le Parisien, the suspect was identified as Clement L., 18 years old, using the alias "Lester Z". This young man and an accomplice were indicted on August 21 in Nanterre, Hauts-de-Seine, on charges of organized robbery.
Clement L. is believed to be behind a series of home attacks and kidnapping plans carried out or prepared from April 11 to August 19 in Neuilly-sur-Seine, Saint-Brice-sous-Foret and Santenay. In the list of 26 targets targeted by this group are football players, rappers, business owners and wealthy people, especially France captain Kylian Mbappe.
The incident began around 9:00 a.m. on April 25 in Neuilly-sur-Seine, when three people pretending to be delivery staff appeared at the door of a watchmaker's house, carrying an empty carton. Realizing something was wrong, the watchmaker did not open the door. The three suspects then ran away, leaving the cardboard box behind.
Less than two weeks later, on May 4, this same watchmaker's store in Paris was robbed. At around 2:45 p.m., two men carrying guns burst into the store, knocked down the manager and took 11 high-end watches, worth a total of about 173,000 USD, before escaping on a scooter.
A suspect was arrested about 30 minutes later in Asnieres-sur-Seine, after crashing his car into a truck. Investigators from the Paris Organized Robbery Prevention Team (BRB) were assigned to the case. They followed clues from the failed attack in Neuilly-sur-Seine.
The carton left behind helped police obtain fingerprints. Images of the car believed to belong to the group of robbers were also identified while traveling on the Paris ring road. However, the vehicle used a fake license plate that matched a real registration plate.
Subsequent investigation led police to two names, including a teenager and Clement L. At that time, Clement was in custody on charges related to rape, prostitution brokerage and another organized robbery.
From his cell at Villepinte Penitentiary Center, Seine-Saint-Denis, Clement L. is said to still run the gang's operations via Snapchat, using the alias "Lester Z".
Police discovered 26 addresses of singers, players and business owners, with one thing in common: they all own large assets. The target list includes a Chinese wholesaler in the 19th arrondissement in Paris, several jewelers and a Turkish meat wholesaler in Val-d'Oise, believed to own millions of dollars in assets.
On August 19, Clement L. was arrested by investigators as soon as he left the Bobigny courthouse. Previously, he had to appear in court for trial in a case related to prostitution brokerage, but the trial was postponed, while Clement was released and placed under judicial supervision.
A second suspect was also arrested shortly afterwards. This person is suspected of being the owner of the car used to transport the subjects who carried out the robbery to Neuilly-sur-Seine.
Searching the suspect's residence, police confiscated many plastic straps and five iPhones. The devices are still being analyzed for investigation purposes. The two people were then detained at BRB headquarters in the Porte de Clichy area, Paris.
Clement L. holds dual French and Swiss nationality. This person's judicial record records two drug-related convictions and one robbery involving violence. Clement's father lived in Seine-et-Marne, while his mother was in Ireland. Clement dropped out of school while attending a culinary training program.
Despite being accused of being behind a serious criminal plan, the 18-year-old said he wanted to go back to school and become a chef.
During questioning, Clement admitted to some of the acts but sought to downplay his role. The suspect denied being the mastermind, claiming that he only acted as an intermediary between a mysterious "boss" and those who directly carried out the attacks.
"I know these acts are serious," Clement said at the September 2 hearing. "I'm in solitary confinement, surrounded by crazy people and terrorists. I don't think it's going to help me get better. I really want to be a chef. It's been my dream since I was little."
The Investigation Chamber of the Versailles Court of Appeals then decided to continue to detain Clement L., while maintaining solitary confinement, cutting off most of the suspect's contact with the outside world, while the suspected accomplice was released under judicial supervision.
