the essential
Since the beginning of the month, hooded individuals have been attacking local businesses in Castres and its outskirts. The list of victims grows over the weeks. Complaints were filed at the police station and the gendarmerie, which is leading the investigation.
Is a gang of burglars plaguing Castres and its outskirts? The question is on the lips of many local traders after a series of nighttime thefts since the beginning of December.
Among them, Kudret Kirkit, the boss of O’coin Gourmand. He suffered two blows in six months, but far from being knocked out, he needs more to throw in the towel. In August, when he had just taken over the bar-restaurant located at the roundabout in the Mélou area, in Castres, his business was robbed for the first time. The loot was then small. Rebelote four months later, just before the end of year holidays, in the middle of last week.
Scratch games, kitchen equipment, cash, bottles of alcohol…
In the middle of the night around 1:20 a.m., and in the space of two minutes, his restaurant was visited by two masked individuals wearing hoods and balaclavas. “They entered through the front door which they forced open with a crowbar. We see them in the camera images,” he explains, showing us the videos. A crate was taken away as well as all the scratch games. The damage would be between 4,000 to 5,000 euros loss. “At 6 a.m. upon arrival, our employee called us to warn us of the burglary,” continues Kudret, who decided to stop selling scratch tickets to avoid further trouble.
Local businesses in the Castres region targeted by thieves
At the same time, a little further away, the Ad’Hauc store, specializing in kitchen equipment, was also robbed. Contacted, the manager did not wish to return to the facts. Complaints were filed at the Castres police station and in the Castres gendarmerie, with a list of victims expanded since the beginning of the month.
In Escoussens, on the night of the 11th to the 12th, and when she had just opened her multi-service bar, Elodie also saw her door broken with a crowbar. A few bottles of alcohol were stolen. The same week, other local businesses in neighboring villages were targeted by a pair of thugs. And a little earlier in December, in the Martinels activity zone in Saïx, Côté Flammes and Joucla Murgier suffered the same fate.
Also read:
“It disgusts me!” In Saïx, burglars steal the Telethon recipe
Added to the long series is the Laboratoires Pierre Fabre retirees’ club, whose revenue of €300 which was to be donated to the Telethon was stolen. “It sickens me, it disgusts me. I don’t understand how anyone can do that. They smashed the doors with a screwdriver, broke the locks, forced open all the cupboards. And they found the envelope with big letters on it.” Telethon”. That’s all they really took!” Marie-Christine Roques, the president of the association, told us.
Furthermore, thefts of fuel and automobile parts have been noted by companies in the Rougearié industrial zone, in Aussillon. Investigations were opened in the police and gendarmerie zone.
