Frontière franco-allemande | Traverser, fuir… et se faire cueillir

Frontière franco-allemande | Traverser, fuir… et se faire cueillir

Strasbourg, in Alsace. This region, bordered by the Rhine, is closely monitored by the authorities. It borders Germany, open to Europe. A boon for traffickers. Today, The police are preparing to arrest a dangerous man. Damien is the investigation director. The individual, he doesn’t like blues. He is known for drug trafficking. He has already spent several years in prison. It is versatile. He’s as good at ducks as he is at drugs. So be careful. So. This time, The individual is suspected of theft. Damage 8,000 euros, 3,500 in cash and 4,600 in collector coins. For this operation, The military will intervene in large numbers. You have to impress. The individual had already used force during a previous arrest. The accused lives a few kilometers from the center of Strasbourg. The police position themselves back from the accommodation, out of sight of the residents of the suspect’s building. It’s 6am, the legal time to intervene. To enter the building smoothly, The technique is simple. Ring the neighbors’ doorbell. And it works. The suspect offers no resistance. Sir,
I hereby notify you of your place in police custody from now on. 6:40 a.m., to decline burglary. Okay, sir. All right. Damien would like to find proof of the theft. Your home was searched, Sir. Can’t find anything forbidden? Anything that is prohibited by law, I can’t find anything here. The man points out a kitchen drawer to the policeman. SO, what’s up, Sir It’s what ? It’s just beef and resin No,
there are both, beef and resin. Is that it? Yes. It’s yours.
You don’t have that. Afterwards, I’m talking to you about weapons. There is nothing? A little wax like that. Or that Okay. In the closet, in this black pocket placed among the sweaters, The suspect’s weapon is ready for use. His charger is stocked. Yet, The accused does not have any firearms. An aggravating circumstance. There is nothing else, there. The dog will come up, I find nothing in any room. Nor in the attic, nor anywhere, Sir. We agree. No problem there. Damien brought in a dog capable of detecting banknotes and drugs. Nothing unusual in the living room, nor in the room. But in the kitchen, a suspicious smell makes him react immediately. The Dog marked here in search of drugs. Often,
this is what happens, They give us a little piece and forget to give us the rest. For now, no evidence of the theft, but the police didn’t come for nothing. There may be something much worse. It’s a garden center product above the cupboard that will tip them off. According to the person concerned, It is glass wool which is used to germinate its seeds. He will plant in his garden. I’d say it’s more about making the duck grow. It doesn’t work. Damien suspects the accused of producing cannabis. He decides to go visit the cellar. Watch out for the head. The duck, It’s really very forgotten. The policeman had flair. The dog will scratch the ground in several places. He went mad, the dog. The marking is intense, the smell is very strong. Are we going through there? Cannabis. It’s open there. Damien discovers all the trappings of the perfect little drug producer. Laugh what! These are lamps that we use for growing. Oh ! But yes, These are sodium lamps. And there is sodium lactate. The fence there, I think. And there, why is it closed? Why are there extractors? No, we’ll have to talk a little, Sir. Let’s just be clear. All of this is used to produce duck. So, you can tell me whatever you want. Me,
I’ve only been doing drugs for 15 years. I can tell you that it is used to produce it. SO, It would be nice not to take me for an idiot. I have no more can. The man will be tried immediately. He will not confess to the thefts or drug trafficking. But he will be imprisoned for repeat firearms offenses. Eastern France, a border region with Germany, separated by the Rhine, one of the busiest rivers in the world. On its left bank, Strasbourg and its 800,000 inhabitants. It is the first commune in the Grand Est, a city where life is good, But recently, his peace has been undermined. With the opening of borders and the free movement of people, The number of criminals from Eastern Europe has exploded in the region. Slope of evildoers, jewel thieves, agricultural equipment, of metals. The gendarmes are on war footing. Several vehicles approaching! For over a year, We followed the men of the Strasbourg Research Section, military personnel specialized in investigation. We have a car with two of the network heads who have just been intercepted. Monitoring, telephone listening, spinning. Their specialty, to bring down international gangs. They have considerable technical resources. Their police colleagues also have to deal with unexpected traffic between France and Germany. At the end of each year, They set up checkpoints along the Rhine. Because thousands of French people are turning into smugglers. They buy ultra-powerful firecrackers from across the border, which are banned in Alsace. This is not an example, That’s all. They blow them up without realizing it. On July 14th or December 31st. A dark night for emergency services who have to save limbs and lives, as in wartime. It smells super black to me, there. Immersion in a border region where the authorities are mainly the frontiers. In the east of France, in the context of major judicial investigations, The gendarmes have a formidable weapon. A helicopter equipped with ultra-sophisticated technologies, used for intelligence. Today, These three specialist soldiers are going on a reconnaissance mission. They are on a big case of very active thieves. It was the Strasbourg research section that requested air reinforcements to dismantle a network. Noel is the on-board navigator. In his hands, a highly sophisticated surveillance system. A camera capable of filming details from several kilometers away. This will allow the intervention units to properly assess the terrain. Afterwards, It can also help confirm the presence of certain vehicles or certain losses. It can be seen or it is speculated to have participated in certain atrocities. For several months, The police are investigating a clan of Romanians who are robbing businesses and homes in the region. They are said to be hiding in this camp on the edge of the highway. The military plans to arrest them very soon. We’ll stay far enough away and high enough to remain discreet. Concretely, we are at 2-3 km from the point and at 1,000 m high. If we were too low, too close, we would be detected. It’s a plan that people have been working on for several months. So, it would be a shame to use these prices to ruin the whole project. Goal of the day, confirm the presence in the camp of suspected persons and vehicles reported at the scene of the burglaries. Despite the distance, The very powerful Zoom allows you to formally identify the models of the vehicles you are looking for and their license plates. In addition to seeing which Caravan the individuals suspected of theft live in. The vehicles that are taking the part of the vehicle, which they have known, that they identified, afterwards, will be loaned by the investigators. And then, they, Given what they already have in the file, They spread the file. These images are transmitted to investigators from the Strasbourg Research Section. They never attempted to enter the camp. They discover for the first time what lies inside. You see the mess that’s in the back Oh, fuck Oh, fuck, what is this? This is the back of the A1 road. from the last camp. It’s a vito No, It’s a Mercedes anyway. This is the red Corsa and this, This is the one, The Mondeo. There are the elders who are around. You’ll see better after, we come back to it. There,
he tries to get closer, he takes the shop-lap-lap. This is a car that was used during the month of August, between mid-March and mid-April. They did a few burglaries with it. For several months, The police are also monitoring phone conversations. They have also installed a video surveillance point that films the comings and goings near the camp. Look at, 2h27, She comes back, she makes a half turn, she waits to see what she has followed and hop, she leaves again. 2h02, he comes home at 5 o’clock, calmly, after a busy night of work. We see that he is actually trying to see if they have come to the entrance of the camp. Burglars are very vigilant. They strike every night and are careful not to be followed. Thanks to the long work of observation, Fred, The investigation director and his team targeted one vehicle in particular. This is the main target master. This is the vehicle they have been using since 3-4 days to commit their misdeed. And so, we will try to increase the availability of a device. The process, if applicable, if they operate in businesses, This is to proceed with the questioning of the perpetrators. This gang has been operating in the region for six months. The first painting, they are reproached, There are about forty facts, which we will bring back to the profile of the Republic next week. And in our purse, we plan to add at least another hundred. We have a fairly broad range of their activity, since it’s about business, equestrian center, the dwelling, the hotel-restaurant, tobacco. Hair salons, beauty institutes, The garages, tobacco shops which have long been their preferred place for their criminal activities. Here are some images of one of the burglaries, at a tobacco shop. Burglars always act at night. In just a few minutes, They seize the cash register and the computer equipment. Before leaving… On tiptoe. They steal money for their daily lives in France, but they also commit thefts on command, DIY equipment or beauty products which they then sell through intermediaries in Romania. The day after, The gendarmes from the search section mobilized around twenty men. The arraignment is scheduled for this evening. Thanks to the geolocation of mobile phones, Investigators know their targets are on the move. The gang is out. All the Romanians we’re looking for are in the two cars. They all left the camp, It’s good. Another team of gendarmes began a remote surveillance. Eric is informed in real time by telephone. I insist on you, They are in a hurry, before midnight. The space crew apparently left the vehicle on foot. They went to a neighboring village, on the edge of the highway. Apparently, they got to work, as they say. And tonight, The helicopter, which also monitors the region, will film the burglaries in real time. It is a group of four people who attack homes and farms. One of them stays in the car, hidden a little further away. The other three go to get some merchandise. In these images, The gang broke through the window of a farm shed and took the loot. In total, five private properties are robbed. But there is a problem with the arrest. It’s going to be difficult to intervene because it’s going to be a race to the bottom and we risk losing them in the fields. So we’re going to try to put together something a bit coherent. As a result, The research section needs reinforcements. The PSIG, the gendarmerie intervention platoon, is mobilized. They are support gendarmes specialized in high-risk interventions. The bridge, you have it The bridge, He’s there.
The bridge, he is there. They can take it before. No,
no, No,
They have to. To prevent the criminals from escaping across the field, The military decides to set up a roadblock. They want to try to arrest the occupants of the entire vehicle, by surprise. The helicopter gives the signal. The gang is on the move. We must act quickly, act before the gang gets onto the highway. In a few minutes, The gendarmes take up position behind a bridge. The trap is about to close. Several vehicles approaching. Stop the belt Stop the belt The belt Well, strong!
On the ground On the ground On the ground, I said Move more All four thieves are neutralized. The operation was a success. It feels good. There is a weapon. A weapon It is hidden in this small bag belonging to the presumed leader of the group. Number of points. I don’t know if you think I loaded it. I don’t want to charge. No.
There is no providence. I don’t know. Afterwards, I don’t know. In addition to this weapon, The police discovered a small treasure in the back of the vehicle. Damn,
there’s some gear, All the same.
The burglars’ loot for this evening alone, around thirty professional tools for gardening and DIY. Only quality material, There are several thousand euros worth. We have two of our main objectives, we have two new people, But I think we should be able to easily link them to other facts. So no, It’s more than positive today. All these people will be taken to the nearest police station to be questioned. In the early morning, The police searched the vehicle. They take inventory of the many pieces stolen during the night. Most are big brand tools. Angle grinder. So a DIY bag. Metal-skin drill. This is a puncher. A bump grinder. This is a sander. Sander. Another angle grinder. But also professional chainsaws. It starts again after that. In Romania, It is resold at unbeatable prices. I don’t know what price category they take, but it’s cheaper than the good corner. Actually, They probably send it by parcel, by buses leaving France for Romania, most often. Or sometimes, They bring the equipment back themselves in vehicles. During this time, the auditions begin. Jerome hears the man who is suspected of being the leader of the gang. He is assisted by his lawyer and an interpreter. So, already, in a spontaneous way, Does he have anything to tell us right away about what happened last night? The individual does not really want to confide. He even claims not to know the other people arrested in the same car. His defense strategy is well-oiled. He wants to avoid being labeled a criminal association or a receiver of stolen goods. And I’m going to hide it from you, I’m telling you everything. is it Here, it is the ultimate thereafter, give them to have some money to buy food for the men. Explanations that are not very credible. The man even tries to exonerate himself from his responsibility as the alleged leader. Are you planning to send it to the chamber? Yes,
If I weren’t inelect, I wouldn’t have accepted it. I told you everything. The victims of the thefts were summoned. They are starting to come and collect the equipment that belongs to them. This gentleman did not hear the criminals acting. You recognize the material That, That, the pin. You were at home when they burglarized I don’t know what time they broke in, I can’t tell you. I can’t tell you. I started this morning at 5 hours at work. I was at work this morning at 5am. There are only others, Sir All that,
there. All this, it’s mine. There aren’t many there. In what they explained. The sudden post already cost 400 euros. Well yes, but…
Wait, Me, not to see it from a chop. He died on the neck of France. The auditions are now closed. Fred,
the investigation director, is satisfied with the operation. They were filmed breaking into sheds and homes. They were filmed leaving these same sheds or dwellings, with equipment and loading this equipment into the vehicle, on board which they were arrested a few minutes later. There, at the contradictory level, It’s going to be difficult. Thanks to the helicopter images, The police have proof of the crime. The offenders will be brought before the public prosecutor and placed in pre-trial detention. They will spend a short time in prison until we can bring to justice the acts they committed from November until this note. Since there, they will go to prison, I hope so, on six facts. And we, we will blame them for it, I think, a good forty. Prosecuted for Aggravated Theft and criminal conspiracy, The defendants face 5 to 10 years in prison. These Romanians were stealing merchandise, but they also officiated in the theft of metals, much easier to sell. You just have to cross the border. In Germany, unlike France, No police book is kept by scrap metal dealers on the identity of the sellers. Copper, steel, everything is resold without verification. Metal thefts are proliferating in the region. Lately, There are even gangs that cut up car catalytic converters to recover the precious metals they contain. Other criminals steal miles of electrical cables from construction sites and industrial sites. To the Mundelsheim Brigade, exactly, Damien and his colleagues prepare to arrest a thug who has made it his specialty. The police received information about his hideout, where he was allegedly carrying out suspicious activities. But the arrest may not go smoothly. The neighbors confirm that the guy is calibrated. He used weapons in the street twice. We describe him as a hot-blooded person, impulsive, recalcitrant to the police. The intervention is not a question. This is Manu Militari. We take them out of the car, we handcuff them, we neutralize them, we’ll discuss later. The wanted man, metal thief, is already known to the police. He would work with accomplices. The police want to catch them when they return to the suspect’s home, their HQ. A team is positioned in the common areas. Another one is hiding in the garage. When suddenly, a man enters the building. Damien has just arrested him in front of the suspect’s apartment. He is one of his accomplices. The accomplice will not say more, but suddenly, he receives a phone call that will accelerate the investigation. It’s the suspect who calls him. The police want to set a trap for him. The wanted man must come, pick up his accomplice, a godsend for the gendarmes. But they are suspicious, This thief is clever, extremely cautious. Last time, he had put a name, his name is Boudure. A name that does not exist, But it was his name on the doorbell to deceive. 4 addresses, We had to check every time, without ever being able to find it again. Never. The suspect is driving a stolen vehicle. Police officers posted outside signal his approach. Okay, there will be three of us in the car. Okay, and calls Christian. Damien wants to stop him in the street. That’s it, It’s them. Hey, they park, they park. Okay,
I’m coming, I’m coming. But we have no choice, we have to go. I have to send you the air. I have to send you the air. The operation is triggered. Stop, Oh, fuck, no! No luck, The wanted man, not seeing his accomplice on the sidewalk, slipped away under the noses of the police. But not for very long. Damien is determined to put him behind bars. He will search his home in the presence of his accomplice. Head to the cellar. And the last one Ah, Ben, there you go! An Ali Baba’s cave. It’s full of cables. To have cable like that, it is only of produtable provenance. It is not possible otherwise. There are whole rolls over there. And that, who does it belong to? Young man I know. Yeah ? Not to you No,
no, not to me. The quantity is impressive. Oh, fuck, but you saw the size of the cables Come on, we will measure in length. We’ll have an idea. A 10, two, 10 and a 20. 3.30 meters for the first. 50, that makes 3. 30, that one. Diameter 30. In total, 125 meters of stolen cables. While waiting to arrest the suspect, his accomplice is taken into custody. I’ll take myself away. I’ll take myself. I’ll take myself. I’ll take myself. I’ll take myself. I’ll take myself. I’ll take myself. I’ll take myself. I’ll take myself. Come on, Thank you. Back to the police station. Damien begins the hearing of the accomplice. He would like to know more about the suspect’s dealings and perhaps where he might be hiding. You are ass, and shirt. Okay? So, don’t tell me you don’t know. Don’t tell me you don’t talk to me in the car. If, But there are things he doesn’t say. There are things he keeps secret. Okay,
but there are things he says. This guy is secretive, too. Yeah,
but hey, you are still with him. I’ve had the same girlfriend for two years. Yeah,
no, but there are still things he keeps secret. The man spent the last three days in a stolen car with the suspect. He went out with him every night, but he says he was not involved in the cable theft. NOW, I wish we would do the same for cable. Was this cable stolen in your opinion or not? Or he had bought it The cable, I didn’t report him for that. If we actually just report friends for every little abnormal thing they do, Damn, my family should go there. So huh. Ah, well, in that case, you shouldn’t hesitate, I listen. The accomplice is placed in a cell, When suddenly, the metal thief is back in the news, in a completely unexpected way. What’s going on here? The main perpetrator wanted to return the car to the victim of the theft, in order to hope, to avoid… His arrest by the police. So. This is what is happening. It’s still worth the detour. It’s rare enough to be worth noting. All right, Okay, it works. Okay,
listen, Thanks again for the info. That’s cool,
We’ll try to put it together quickly. Thank you very much, Good evening to you. The opportunity is too good. Damien will attempt to arrest the suspect when he returns the stolen vehicle to its owner. But once on the road… New program change. Feeling hunted, The suspect decided to surrender. He called the police directly. Okay, where is he? At the station? The meeting point is in front of Colmar train station. The stolen car is there, but not the suspect. He seems to be playing with the police. I think that in my opinion, He got scared at the last moment. He saw us coming, he got scared. Damien and his team are going to search Fontencomble station. He suspects him of wanting to escape by train, especially since he has now turned off his cell phone. So he took us for hams at 7 p.m., He wasn’t there, What. He didn’t see us, he lied to us. He lied to us, he lied to us. What do you want me to tell you, Me ? After this new leak, Damien plays one last card. He asked other gendarmes to monitor the homes of the suspect’s close friends. And it will work. An unexpected phone call will cheer him up. Great, Well done, guys. Ah,
I’m happy, THANKS. To all. Hello. No breakage, everything went well. They are on their way, They return to the brigade. That’s it, with 11 hours late. But there it is. The metal thief has just been arrested. The man who taunted the military for hours was finally arrested while he was going to eat pizza with friends. Where were you at 7 p.m.? Sir At 7 p.m., I was in Strasbourg. This is not correct, Eh We’ll give you a chance, everything,
and you take us for idiots on the phone, in addition. This is not correct. You come The man will be interviewed, then presented to a judge. He will be released from police custody, but will be sentenced to community service. In Alsace, for several months, Dozens of small, isolated villages are victims of repeated thefts. This time the criminals are targeting vulnerable pavilions, often at the edge of the field. The gendarmes of the Strasbourg Research Section are working on this new case. Lieutenant Sautier is in charge of the investigation unit. Behind these thefts is a cross-border criminal organization. Who exploit children to commit burglaries. It all started at the end of July 2012 with a burglary in Alsace, not far from home, in Molsheim, by two minors who are here. Which minors were arrested in the act, were then released and caught again. Two days later, in Fjordenheim, a little further. In their flight, They try to drop a bag of jewelry so they don’t get caught with it. Jewelry from burglaries that took place in Lorraine. As the months went by, Investigators discovered that other minors, like them, were scouring the houses. They all come from Eastern countries. They have 13 or 14 years old, So, indeed, it is young. At the same time, they are a little manipulated and a little victim of their own parent or their own clan who sends them flying. Now it has become a real profession for them. The long work of investigation… Reveals that these dozens of minors are in fact exploited by a major international criminal organization, originally from Croatia. Thanks to telephone tapping, The police have managed to identify the leaders of the network and what goods they are stealing. I had said it a few times, some communications that are very important because they are a real mine of information for us. Between who goes, where, who does what, who had, what loot, of what origin, etc. From Alsace, The little hands went to commit a hundred thefts. Between Belgium, Germany and Switzerland. But the network also operates throughout the Eastern region, the Parisian suburbs and the south of France. The investigation into the outcome took a year. This mafia, very vigilant and well organized, had established a coded language. Lieutenant Sautier’s colleagues had difficulty deciphering it. They have a special con of their own. Go shopping, so go shopping, It’s a burglary. A store, It’s a house to burglarize. For example, He went for a walk in the village and brought back some things, or he brought back lice. And the lice, So lice are gold. He brought back three lice, three kilos of gold. Or a leaf, for 1000 euros. Without any trick, without a gram of gold. Where there are potatoes, This is Germany. You are happy, our friends, Totons Where there are potatoes, the country of La Croix, Switzerland. So they went, For example, take a trip to the land of La Croix. They went to commit burglaries in Switzerland. And they brought back things for the wrists, watches. They brought back finger stuff, rings. And all that… So we, for example, we are the godfathers, the shepherds, pigs or friends. That is to say, the gendarmes or the police. That’s a lie. If we listen to them, Sometimes, There are things… At first,
I didn’t mind you. They got eaten by dogs. What is this, this story They were eaten by dogs while going for walks in the country of La Croix. They were arrested by the police while going to burgle in Switzerland. We are on the eve of the dismantling of the network. A wave of arrests that mobilized 200 gendarmes throughout France and their counterparts in Europe. The stakes are high, Lieutenant Sautier, who is leading the operation, has gathered his men. So that’s a little preview, So you have, let’s say globally, all those who are targeted in Paris, in Lyon, in Serbia, There are some who walk around in Belgium or Germany too, so there are some who are in Marseille, Finally, it’s varied, Carcassonne, We have a little bit of everything. So, there is one family in particular that is interesting, This is the one, because they have a house in a suburb of Mulhouse. Who is the clan’s fixed point in France? And particularly in Alsace. This pavilion in Alsace would be one of the network’s rear bases. This is where a good portion of the merchandise stolen by the children would pass through before being sold. Network leaders go there regularly. All these jewels are then sold to fences who hide them everywhere in or around camper vans, Which will be important for searches, since they can hide anywhere. But then everywhere, everywhere, everywhere, that is, under the floorboards, in the children’s diapers, in shampoo tubes. It will really be necessary, really dig into the different ones, either house, either camper van. The day after, 6am, in the suburbs of Mulhouse. The military is ready to take over the rear base. The investigators are supported by a special gendarmerie unit. “Olive,
you received me, you stay in the lead on the right. “Here we go!” It went opposite, there, there is someone in front A second one here! Oh,
what’s up? This man on the ground, He is one of the heads of the wanted network. A good catch. Once the perimeter is secured, Investigators enter the house. This handcuffed woman is the companion of the man arrested in the kitchen. They have lived here for several years. But her husband is not often present. Upstairs, The police isolated the couple’s four children in a room. The man is agitated, he pretends not to understand what is happening to him. The police came with a translator. There are interim grounds to believe that you have participated in illegal acts. Illegal acts? Do you have any weapons? No. SO, It’s 6 o’clock. It’s hour 6 in the morning. You are taken into custody. You are in a state of restraint. For theft. For theft. In an organized gang. So, robbery. And Criminal Association. And association of groups. An organized crime group. Why is it not criminal? Here, shit He’s not a dictator. Break the door here, it’s this baby. Not good what is he doing. The man does not block the facts with which he is accused. Once dressed, he is taken to the gendarmerie brigade. At the same time, in Arcueil, in the Parisian suburbs. Lieutenant Sautier made the trip. This is where he set up a command center. A room from which he follows arrests throughout France and Europe, in real time. I have two goals that I was supposed to hit in Marseille. I have them under geolocation and there they are on the A9. Heading for Spain. There, they are a little to the east of Montpellier, again, They did not go beyond Montpellier. And so I wanted to know if it was possible to get the EDSR number or something like that to catch them at work, if they come by. Some targets are on the road, but thanks to reinforcement, the police will arrest them. The operation is not yet complete. For now, we are at 20 arrests, 12 in France and 8 in Belgium. Most of the targets that were in Alsace moved between Liège and Cologne, Straddling the Belgian and German borders. This morning, Most of those who were in Alsace were arrested in Liège. Except for one couple who are still in Alsace, who was arrested in Mulhouse, But otherwise, most of them are in Liège. During the searches, The police have already seized a large quantity of stolen jewelry. In Alsace, The military would also like to find evidence of burglaries in the house, which served as a rear base. She is searched in front of her partner, of one of the heads of the network. She is the official tenant of this property. To begin with, I’m not going to discuss the case with you here, NOW. Now,
you know very well why we are here, You know very well what brings us here and what questions I will ask you over the next four days. You know, We’re going to conduct a search. Once that’s over, You come with me to the Mulhouse gendarmerie. And then you are in police custody, as I explained to you. A very thorough search of all the rooms begins. The police are searching for the goods stolen by the network. The main objective, it’s about finding jewelry, cash. And then, all valuables that have no connection with this lady’s usual lifestyle. Anything that is a luxury item will be systematically seized. Every square centimeter is combed through. The police are assisted by a dog specialized in searching for banknotes. Thieves can hide their loot in the most unexpected objects or corners. It is possible. Very quickly, in the woman’s bedroom, The soldiers got their hands on some jewels cleverly slipped into some clothes. You put them in the jackets, That The Jewels No,
here, I…
Hidden among the deer, in jackets or something I didn’t hide it, I put it there. With your mixture, there are my flows. He also finds a very valuable watch, while the woman has no activity and lives on social benefits. The military also got their hands on luxury leather goods. If it’s true, It could be from a theft. I am not a great counterfeiting expert, but it’s still a certain amount, so as not to pay for them. And in his wallet, some large foreign bills. Almost 300 euros. 100,
200, 300 Swiss francs. It’s seized. Ah good Yes, it’s captured. Quite. The bulk of the merchandise has, it seems, already been elapsed. The children were placed in the care of social services. The woman and the client will be heard separately. The police will try to obtain confessions about the thefts committed by his clan. But the questioning, assisted by her lawyer, is that betraying his family could cost him his life. Your brothers and sisters, they make fillings, flights? I can’t say no to you, but yes. You,
how come Because I’m not in balance. You know that I, I have to ask you these questions. Yes I know. So. The woman chooses to mature in silence. The only thing she will confess to the police, It is the systematic use of children to commit burglaries, without denouncing them. She too was forced to steal. As a child. How is it going? That is to say, we take children, from what age to make them fly? I was starting to… Yes,
exactly, you,
you are 5 years old. 7, 8 years old? So, what is it? Your parents, they send you flying, that’s it It’s not about listening for voices, it’s automatic, I don’t know. Just like at home, the school, I don’t know. I don’t know, I don’t know. No,
but okay, I understand. That is to say, children, It’s a bit like their… It’s their job, their harvest. This is their harvest. Okay,
that’s their harvest. These are the articles. According to the gendarme, Some of these exploited children can be worth a small fortune. Listen, There you go,
she’s a good thief, a kid who flies well, it has a value, a market value, a kid. Is that it?
We can go up to 200,000 euros. You can buy a thief for 200,000 euros. Yeah, well, your flight is good there, Hey,
she flies well, 200,000 euros. These miners bring in an average of 5,000 euros per month. The woman will be charged with criminal conspiracy. She faces 10 years in prison. In all, 27 people were arrested in France and abroad. The dismantling of the network allowed the police to seize several large bills and several luxury vehicles. If the delinquency coming from Eastern countries gives the police a hard time, Another cross-border peculiarity worries the police. A few days before New Year’s Eve, Dozens of police officers are mobilized for a gigantic operation. They will set up checkpoints between France and Germany. One of the strategic points, the bridge of Europe. They stop cars, pedestrians, scooters, but also buses. We look in the bags, ok? Thank you, ladies and gentlemen. The police are combing through as many vehicles and their passengers as possible. What the police are looking for, They are explosives. Every year, real bombs. Very powerful fireworks, banned throughout the region. They are illegally imported from Germany by thousands of French people. Because on the evening of July 14th or December 31st, It is a tradition in Alsace to set off very dangerous firecrackers and fireworks in the streets, in the middle of the crowd. Amateur fireworks makers film each other. At midnight, The center of Strasbourg is turning into a battlefield. It’s about who will take the most risks to impress others. In Baffant, all safety rules. There are many accidents, fatalities every year. For emergency and police services, It’s a dark night. On the bridge of Europe, after just a few checks, The police make the first catches. These are gifts. Only small firecrackers known as Class 1 or K1 are permitted. Faced with the drama of other years, The prefect decided to ban all others. But obviously, The information did not reach everyone. This cyclist shows very little discretion. This is class 2, forbidden. And the takes keep coming. No,
it’s confiscated, Sir. But there,
you took all my work. I understand well. Are you disgusted? I am disgusted. At least,
like that, you will know that you can save your money next time. All right ? A little later, These two young people are hiding an impressive amount of money in their backpacks. Perhaps intended for resale under the counter. This is the biggest catch so far. That is to say, what weight? Between 12 and 15 kilos. 12 and 15 kilos. Two people? Yes. You knew it was a pardon Yes.
We heard it every year. It didn’t happen. There you go,
with everyone. We would have another strategy, it’s not true? We would go swimming, we will pass a boat, I don’t know. In the vehicle, police officers, already several dozen kilos of firecrackers. Good catch. It’s on the other side of the Rhine, to Kelle, that firecrackers banned in Alsace are purchased. In this small border town, Dozens of shops are turning into firecracker sellers a few days before New Year’s. In Germany, Sale is only prohibited to minors. But these little French people, we combine them. We bought everything for 56 euros. The whole gang, we went through him because he has his notification cards, he is an adult. There, It is class 2 and is not authorized in France. On every street corner. Advice immediately followed to the letter. To hide their precious goods, These two Frenchmen do not hesitate to sacrifice security. I break them because they don’t fit. It’s only good to be. There is no more wing, I don’t have the turkey of stems to leave. We are not happy because everyone does as they want. This is not an example to follow. An unconsciousness that has only one goal. Cross the border incognito. For that, These two young people will improvise, smuggler, and use side roads. They want to avoid law enforcement checkpoints. We take the small bridge. It goes by itself, the little bridge. Yeah?
Yeah. The controls, they are there, on the bridge. And we’re going to go around. Just a few hundred meters from the dam, police officers, they will pass through this pedestrian walkway, straddling France and Germany. Eventually, They will get caught in the city center. On the bridge of Europe, The checks continue. The opportunity for the police to do, at nightfall, some surprising takes. Like drug smugglers, These two young people driving this car thought they were smarter than the authorities. They hid their firecracker under their T-shirts and in their socks. A nice amount. Every time, This is an opportunity for the police to remind people of the dangers associated with the use of these explosives. If you use it incorrectly or want to pick up the firecracker again that hasn’t exploded, We are getting closer, We think everything is good, we take it back in hand. We tear off our hand or a finger. After three days of monitoring, Police seized more than 400 kg of firecrackers and fireworks. A tiny amount. In a few hours, It’s New Year’s Eve and tonight again, There will be dozens of extremely serious accidents. In the city center of Strasbourg, the party is in full swing. It’s midnight. Thousands of people gathered at Place Kleber, their ultra-powerful firecracker in hand. Issue Some people use them in a completely irresponsible way, ignoring all safety rules for themselves and the crowd around them. This copy man keeps his hand on the bombs. This rocket grazes the head of a passerby. This young man, him, uses the explosive charge of a mortar normally reserved for professional bomb disposal experts as a real grenade when targeting a friend. Disaster is narrowly avoided. Aren’t they a little dangerous? Those firecrackers? A little, but you have to be careful. Well, there, we warned him, generally, we can be careful, but they have to be sold, No All right. It’s us. And they are banned in Strasbourg, Aren’t you a little afraid of the police? They don’t do anything? No, everyone speaks German, So we passed quietly, There are some who have taken care of themselves. For the misuse and purchase of this mortar, The young man is liable to a fine of 1,500 euros. Tonight, Around twenty hands will be torn off or completely mutilated following the explosion of large firecrackers. The victims are taken urgently to SOS Main. All night long, Medical teams will do everything possible to try to save the members of the reckless partygoers. To confirm the extent of the damage to the first patient of the evening, A nurse starts by taking an x-ray of his hand. “Come on, try to take a quick shot.” The images confirm the severity of the injury. The young man lost several fingers in the explosion. ” Please. ” It’s a blast. A real blast. The bursting of the hand. So the fifth finger is lost. Completely ripped off. The anesthesiologist begins by putting his arm to sleep. We must act quickly to try to save what remains of his hand. The young man is very worried. It’s 1 a.m. From now on, the phone will never stop ringing. SO, no time to waste. The casualty reception area must be quickly cleared. For me, it’s good, we are ready. The young man is taken to the operating room. The other mutilated people are already arriving. Beautiful Flower, the nurse, points patients. She now works with the phone glued to her ear. You are the sixth, not the fourth. Left hand, in an hour, two.
What’s up? Come on guys, here we go, we are going to work. The nurse now runs from room to room preparing the wounded who arrive from all over the region. Mainly minors aged 16 or 17 and young adults. At the entrance to the operating room, It’s a traffic jam. The wounded must be sorted. Critical cases are given priority. Dimitri, the surgeon, works on the hand of the first patient of the evening. His observation is terrible. The young man only has three functioning fingers left. For the entire Sos Main team, faced with these very serious cases, These big firecrackers are no longer harmless. This is not a game, This is a high-risk and unnecessary activity. That with explosive devices, it must be said festive. Next up. Tonight, The SOS Main team in Strasbourg will operate on around fifteen patients. In all, ten fingers are completely lost and in the region, two people will die.

La frontière ne les arrête pas.
Cuivre, pétards illégaux, camions volés… ce documentaire suit la traque de réseaux transfrontaliers qui exploitent chaque faille entre la France et l’Allemagne.
Enfants utilisés, interpellations spectaculaires, surveillance aérienne… une lutte quotidienne sans filet.

Réalisateur : Vincent Prado

💖 Likez pour soutenir les reportages de terrain.
🔔 Abonnez-vous pour d’autres immersions.
🗨️ Commentez : faut-il redéfinir les règles aux frontières ?

#documentaire #police #trafic #gendarmerie #frontière #cuivre #enfants