The tobacco bar “Le Tennessee” in Anhiers, near Douai, was robbed in 3 or 4 minutes during the night from Friday to Saturday. According to the owners, the damage is estimated in thousands of euros.
Dave and Laurine Denimal, owners of the PMU tobacco bar “Le Tennessee”, rue Gabriel Péri in Anhiers, near Douai, are still in shock and have difficulty realizing what happened on the night of Friday 20 to Saturday December 21.
An express burglary in Anhiers
The boss explains: “The operation only lasted 3 or 4 minutes. Luckily our alarm went off but as I was in my first sleep, I didn't hear it right away. There is a deterrent fog generator, which releases thick, odorless smoke. It spreads quickly throughout the rooms. A few seconds after the fog appeared, the thieves fled because they could no longer see anything.”
The act of professionals?
Once awake, the tobacconist telephoned a local friend, who went to the scene around 1:50 a.m. but saw nothing from the outside. “Rewatching our video, we see that they are real professionals in burglary. It's impressive. They were very calm and very organized. They had headlamps and on the camera, we see that they take their time to scrutinize the premises before committing the offense They were all hooded and gloved.
Well-defined roles
As seen in the images, everyone had a well-defined role: “one kept watch, two took the loot and the last buried the objects in a bag. We wonder if they are not regulars because they seemed to find their way easily and know the places. But thinking about it, the configuration of a tobacco bar is often similar, from one business to another. They stole packets of cigarettes, electronic cigarettes and accessories. The damage amounts to thousands of euros because they also broke. the front door and broke the shutter. Even the candies on the displays were stolen. My daughter was very shocked.
A theft already committed 4 years ago
Stunned by this situation, Dave Denimal called the former owner to ask him what to do. In fact, the latter was the victim of a theft 4 years ago, on December 26. The establishment had also been the victim of a break-in attempt more recently, but nothing comparable. Contacted, the municipality which has video surveillance cameras in the street identified the car as well as its license plate: it is an Alpha Roméo Giulietta, stolen and recognizable by its special headlights.
The tobacco bar remains open
Despite the situation, the owners have decided to keep their bar open every day of the week, except Christmas Day and New Year's Day, as planned. Laurine emphasizes: “Leaving the shutter down won't change things. We are not hurt. We have a second door through which customers can enter because the main one is beyond repair. We have regulars who support us. It warms our hearts and lifts our spirits. The psychological violence experienced is very present“. Find all the news from Douaisis on our website.
