Five Georgians suspected of committing 90 burglaries in the Paris region using acid to break locks have been charged, prosecutors said on Thursday, August 17.
Four of the suspects were held in pre-trial detention from Wednesday and the fifth is being monitored by police, the prosecutors in Nanterre, northwest of the French capital, told Agence France-Presse (AFP).
In a rare method for break-ins, the robberies were carried out by injecting a corrosive liquid to destroy the locks of apartment doors, prosecutors and a police source said.
An investigation was launched last year after a July 2022 surge in burglaries using the technique in the Ile-de-France region surrounding Paris. They began in the early days of France's summer holidays before tailing off in mid-September.
Europol data showed up similar cases in Austria in November 2022, followed by Belgium, Portugal and Germany. Acid-enabled burglaries were again identified in France from early August, prompting a new organized crime investigation for theft and dealing in stolen goods.
Police were able to arrest six Georgian suspects at their safe houses and in a vehicle believed to have been used in the crimes, after setting up surveillance around the town of Saint-Cloud west of Paris following four break-ins.
Jewels, special chemical-resistant gloves, high-capacity syringes and gas masks were found in one search, the police source said. They added that the suspects formed "established, professional teams" for their raids.