“The acid burglar gang” is the name given to the criminals behind this new, unprecedented technique. Their process is well established: rather than a crowbar, they attack the locks using a corrosive product based on acid and liquid nitrogen to open doors more easily and silently. More than 80 people were victims in one month in 2022, mainly in Île-de-France.
A meticulous operating procedure
The first facts date back to July 11, 2022. At that time, several apartment burglaries were recorded in the Hauts-de-Seine department. The police discover that burglars adopt a hitherto unpublished technique: nitric acid, a very corrosive agent. “They inject a corrosive liquid into the lock cylinder, which damages the mechanism by melting it. They then slide a tool inside which allows them to open very quickly and without making noise“, indicated a police officer in the columns of 20 minutes. This method, extremely effective, has two considerable advantages: silence and speed. “We can estimate that in five or ten minutes, it was resolved“, explains Fanélie Raverot, divisional commissioner and head of territorial security of Hauts-de-Seine, to franceinfo.
The police therefore followed up the investigation, analyzing conversations and telephone boundaries, until they arrested a gang of criminals on Wednesday August 16, 2023. Each had a very specific role: four professionals of the burglary, a driver, and a “chemist” in charge of the lock. Four of them were remanded in custody.
Burglary: constantly increasing figures
211,400 burglaries were recorded in 2022according to the Ministry of the Interior, or approximately one every two minutes. A figure increasing by 18% compared to the previous year. Among the most affected departments, most are in the West: Loire-Atlantique, Ille-et-Vilaine, Morbihan. Just like in Île-de-France, Occitanie, Auvergne Rhône-Alpes and Hauts-de-France. Break-ins are mainly concentrated in the largest cities. In the capital alone, the number of burglaries increased by 25% in 2022 compared to last year.
If no lock resists, until now, this new burglary technique, taking precautions to avoid thefts and intrusions is necessary. For example, you can install an alarm and a video surveillance system. To deter thieves, it is important to give the impression of an inhabited home. Remember to regularly empty your mailbox and your trash cans, and ask neighbors to stop by your house during your vacation.
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