The affair began at the beginning of the year in Libourne. Four cars are stolen in the sub-prefecture using a procedure known as “mouse-jacking”. A technique consisting of firstly opening the vehicle using a rod, then, once inside, encoding a new start key by connecting to the car's diagnostic socket using of a box.
Thirty vehicles stolen
The first investigations by the BR gendarmes made it possible to discover one of the vehicles stolen in Dordogne. Two suspects are quickly arrested and sit down at the table in front of investigators. They explain that they belong to the gang of criminals who committed the acts in Libourne and detail their way of acting.
Therefore, a judicial investigation is opened by the public prosecutor of the Libourne judicial court. The gendarmes of the SR of Bordeaux are jointly seized. The meticulous investigation allows us to identify all the protagonists of this very well organized gang. Following surveillance and surveillance, night and day, the gendarmes define the role of each person: from the order giver to the thieves to the receivers.
In total, investigators managed to identify around thirty stolen vehicles. Some were replated, made up and then regularized with the prefecture. Seven stolen cars reveal fraud with overwriting of vehicle registration system (SIV) data and made it possible to target two suspicious establishments in Gironde and Bouches-du-Rhône.
Money and a weapon seized
Last week, investigators therefore launched a vast arrest operation. The 11 accused are mostly known to the courts for acts of theft, receiving stolen property, violence, forgery and violations of drug legislation.
During the searches, the gendarmes discovered several stolen vehicles and numerous French and foreign administrative documents, particularly from Germany and Belgium. Telephones, car keys of different brands, an OBD adapter allowing vehicle diagnostics to be carried out as well as cash were also seized.
