The French police are looking for about 100 first-class travelers whose luggage and/or wallet was stolen on the train in France. A gang of men who disguised themselves as women using wigs are believed to be behind the thefts.
Earlier this year, a woman reported that her bag, containing jewelry worth no less than 50,000 euros, had been stolen on the train. She was traveling first class on a high-speed train and had boarded in Aix-en-Provence, in the south of France. Camera images would soon show that three men were behind the theft.
The perpetrators, all 40 to 50 years old, mainly traded near Nice and Marseille. “They knew very well what they were doing and were fast,” said David Brugère, head of the local police in Marseille. “They even bought valid tickets for the train. ”The train tickets show that they were successful on different train routes: from Paris to Nice, Paris to Marseille and Lyon to Geneva.
One thief always dressed up as a woman, using wigs and dresses. He then sat down next to a victim to distract him. The other two men could easily steal wallets, bags and other valuables. Once the men had succeeded in their mission, they got off at the next platform.
170 wallets, 170 victims
In a flat in Marseille, where the loot was collected, the police recovered no fewer than 150 pieces of luggage, 170 wallets, hundreds of sunglasses and expensive shoes. In total, another 137,000 euros in cash was collected.
Police suspect at least 170 victims and are now looking for the rightful owners of the stolen goods. Not an easy task, given that the victims could probably come from all over the world.
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