We have something new to add to your Bingo card of weird yet fascinating things: LEGO robbery. And no, this is much more than a Target swipe or a kid taking a set from a friend. Apparently, police in France are on the trail of a long-running crime crew who are snatching up the tiny tinker toys from kids and businesses alike. The Guardian reports that there is a rogue Parisian gang who stay in hotels, cruise the streets in an Audi, and rob toy stores.
The bandits are hoping to score profitable LEGO sets to sell over in Poland. This detail takes their exploits to an international level. The crew’s been on their robbing spree since at least 2019 according to Le Parisien, hitting stores like PicWicToys, Maxi Toys, and La Grande Récré. The French authorities are working on building their case against them; it’s not clear how much they know about anyone within this ring outside of the three people arrested last year.
Ryan Quintal/Unsplash
Of course, LEGO sets don’t initially sell for thousand of dollars. But its plausible that a vintage or special edition set can rack up some cash. Either way, if you are going to pursue LEGO robbery, it seems like it would be more lucrative as a solo mission. No one wants to split their profits several ways, right? (We are not encouraging nor condoning robbery, by the way.)
It’s not the first time that someone has stolen a LEGO set, of course. In 2012, a man stole and sold LEGO sets, among other things for a cool million online. Three years later, he was sentenced to five years in prison for retail theft and burglary. A similar fate may await the LEGO crime crew… if the police catch up with them. We will have to keep our eyes on this story and see what happens. If nothing else, this is all great material for a future film or TV series.
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