News From Neuchâtel to the United States: an investigation in the field with the criminal investigation department, the FBI and an expert from the FH.
For some time, watchmakers and jewellers have been sorely tested by crooks on all sides. Not a week goes by without a story in the newspapers recounting a break-in in Switzerland or one of its neighbouring countries. The commonest method is simple and spectacular. In plain daylight, robbers force entry into the shop, brutally threaten sales staff with weapons, grab the contents of display cabinets and strongboxes, and then make off in a powerful car stolen just prior to the hoist. In two to three minutes, the job has been done. The police are left to witness the trail of destruction on CCT footage: fast, determined, cold-blooded. As can be imagined, these are no everyday delinquents, but organised and well-honed groups, at ease with the use of military hardware. In the manner of real mercenaries, the crooks often go into action with their faces uncovered, or sometimes wear masks or special clothing which they abandon shortly after the crime.
The main gangs known to police come from the former republics of what used to be Yugoslavia. Their members are hardened by years of armed conflict and are used to handling weapons. In addition, thanks to an important diaspora established around the globe, they have an indispensable network through which to dispose of their loot. The criminals focus in particular on luxury watches, which are particularly attractive on account of their weight/volume/value ratio. Easy to transport and conceal, and highly sought-after the world over, Swiss watches are a favourite target.
To combat these gangs the police are taking action on several fronts, which, as the reader will understand, cannot be detailed here. Suffice it to say that a group of detectives from Neuchâtel, in close collaboration with Interpol and other police forces, is taking a very close interest in the channels of the second-hand market highly regarded by enthusiasts of fine watches. Investigations carried out in several countries have shed light on the route travelled by stolen watches. It has become clear for example that certain points of sale unaffiliated to any approved or authorised network nonetheless have limitless access to the most famous brands and models. More concretely, enquiries made on major export markets, particularly the United States, have revealed that some points of sale, doing brisk business yet not official dealers, are able to supply a stock of the finest timepieces at unbeatable prices. Through which channels do their goods come? Who are the suppliers? Are these luxury watches at knock-down prices really “second-hand”? Is it not more likely that they are stolen goods? All questions to which the Neuchâtel sleuths are seeking answers in all four corners of the globe, with the indispensable backing of watch manufacturers.
In the course of their work, accompanied by an expert from the FH, they visited the east coast of the United States in August this year to ask some questions to the owner of a prominent jeweller’s shop. The search carried out by the Neuchâtel investigators, assisted in this instance by the FBI, may throw light on the matter once all of the seized documents have given up their secrets. The police now have enough evidence to confirm that watches stolen in Neuchâtel were indeed sold from these premises.
Little by little, investigators are mapping the details of a huge network of organised crime. The list of offences does not stop at theft, but also includes the handling of stolen goods, fraud, money laundering, and sometimes counterfeiting. Experience shows in fact that counterfeiting can provide cover for the handling of stolen goods. The trick is easy to understand: if police pressure becomes too intense, far better to say the goods are fake rather than stolen. This little ruse is enough to avoid a jail sentence!
September 13, 2011