Paris: Gold thieves kidnap children for jewelry

Justice is moving forward in the case of a settling of scores between thieves in Paris. Accused of kidnapping and extortion by an organized gang, two men aged 16 and 27 were indicted on November 5, according to information from Le Parisien.

The facts date back to October 17. They took place in the 19th arrondissement of the capital, Quai de la Charente.

Victims released by neighbors

Early in the afternoon, the suspects entered an apartment. Inside, they found two young people aged 22 and 19 and two children aged 7 and 3. But it wasn't them they were looking for. If they had come, it was to explain themselves to another member of the siblings, aged 15. “But he is not at home,” according to the Parisian.

A transaction then had to take place. The suspects were indeed to receive jewelry. Seeing nothing coming, they decided to attack the people present by sequestering them in the bathroom. Then, following a call to a sponsor, they began to search the home. The jewelry found – belonging to the mother – they then fled with their loot. The kidnapped children and young people were then able to be freed by neighbors, alerted by screams.

The sponsor still sought after

A source close to the investigation later revealed to Le Parisien that the 15-year-old brother “had been arrested shortly before in possession of stolen gold. He should have given the precious metal to a mysterious recipient. For lack of loot, this man would have decided to make him pay.”

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Investigators were able to identify the attackers. They were arrested on November 4 in Paris and Essonne. The sponsor is still being sought.