Elderly woman targeted in gold theft

An 78-year-old woman in Toulouse became the target of a theft involving four gold bars and 500 gold louis, which were taken over several months. The incident began last spring when she received multiple phone calls warning her of a potential financial scandal.

Victim believed callers were police

The woman, believing the callers to be legitimate authorities, went to her bank and withdrew the gold items. She then provided her address to the perpetrators, whom she thought were police officers.

Fake courier collected stolen goods

A fake courier later arrived at her home to collect the stolen goods, reinforcing her belief that the individuals were acting on official business. This deception allowed the thieves to take the valuable items without immediate suspicion.

Surveillance led to arrests

Following the police's decision to set up a surveillance team near the victim’s home, two individuals were arrested. As the investigation continued, ten more people were taken into custody, bringing the total number of arrests to twelve.