Two charged after hiding €10m of Swiss jewellery in underwear
French prosecutors have charged two men with criminal offences after being arrested in Paris with €10 million (CHF9.3 million) of Swiss jewellery hidden in their underpants.
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The duo admitted stealing the jewellery from a private individual in Switzerland, the Paris public prosecutor’s office said on Friday.
The suspects, both aged over 18, were charged on Wednesday with robbery in a group and remanded in custody, sources close to the case told AFP on Friday, confirming a report in Le Parisien. The two men, of Tunisian nationality, have also been placed under witness status for criminal conspiracy, one of these sources added.
They admitted stealing the jewellery from a private home in Switzerland, the source said, adding that it consisted of a Rolex watch, necklaces, earrings and rings set with precious stones. According to Le Parisien, the theft took place in Geneva.
The public prosecutor’s office has put the estimated value of the loot at €10 million, but this figure is subject to adjustment, said a source close to the case.
The two men were stopped during a routine check as they left their TGV train at Gare de Lyon. Police discovered the jewellery hidden in the underpants of one suspect, wrapped in a sock, according to a source close to the case.
Translated from French with DeepL/mga
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