In Marseille, two thieves were arrested after stealing hundreds of reversing cameras installed on Renault Clio 5s.
When you own a car, you must always exercise great vigilance, especially against thieves, who are unfortunately very numerous. But if your entire vehicle happens to be stolen, it is more common to have certain parts stolen. And this is precisely what happened to many motorists in Bouches-du-Rhône. Indeed, the department recently suffered a series of thefts specifically targeting the reversing cameras of Renault Clio 5s.
Well organized thieves
This wave of misdeeds, which generated a total of 538 complaintshit both individuals and businesses, and took on an unprecedented scale. Joël Groisne, head of the Aix-en-Provence judicial police department, told Le Figaro that the thieves’ modus operandi was as simple as it was effective: “The camera is embedded in the Renault logo, itself easily removable .” This technical simplicity has enabled thieves to operate on a large scale, notably in the autonomous port of Marseille, where no less than 400 cameras were stolen from vehicles awaiting export. It is in the night of November 12 to 13 that the authorities put an end to this series of thefts.
It all started in Vitrolles, when a suspicious individual was spotted around a Renault dealership. His behavior aroused the suspicions of the police, who followed him. He was quickly apprehended after dismantling no less than 19 cameras in a single night. The exploitation of the suspect’s cell phones revealed the existence of a network. A second individual, an accomplice of the main thief, served as driver and facilitated the operations. Together, they were linked to numerous thefts committed in and around Marseille.
Very strong penalties
According to Renault, 130 cameras had been stolen from the only concessions in the region before even considering the thefts from the port. These reversing cameras, highly sought after on the second-hand market, were resold at unbeatable prices. “The thieves sold the parts individually for around thirty euros or in batches to unscrupulous garages,” explained Commissioner Groisne. A practice which highlights the strong demand for this type of components, which are often costly to replace in official circuits. But the duo was quickly arrested and taken into police custody. The two thugs appeared in court a few days after his arrest.
The main accused received 18 months in prison, including three months suspended for two years. His accomplice, who played the role of logistician, was sentenced to six months in prison under electronic surveillance. This case illustrates the scale of the challenges posed by organized theft of automobile parts. If the authorities have succeeded in neutralizing these thieves, the phenomenon could continue due to the high demand on the black market.
Law enforcement and automakers are now working together to improve vehicle safety.
Source: www.autoplus.fr
