A man suspected of stealing jewellery worth more than €1 million from an elderly Monegasque resident while posing as a police officer has been arrested in France following a joint cross-border investigation, the Monaco Public Prosecutor’s Office announced on Wednesday.

According to the prosecutor, the theft took place on 14th July, when the suspect allegedly gained the victim’s trust by impersonating a police officer before making off with jewellery valued at more than €1 million.

The communiqué credits the rapid response of Monaco’s Sûreté Publique and close coordination with French police forces, working under the authority of several French public prosecutors, with quickly identifying the suspect and locating his home in France.

French authorities searched the suspect’s home on 17th July, where investigators “recovered numerous additional pieces of jewellery as well as a substantial amount of cash”. The prosecutor did not specify whether the recovered jewellery included the items stolen from the Monegasque victim.

The suspect was remanded in custody on 19th July after being formally charged by a French investigating magistrate with organised fraud (escroquerie en bande organisée) – suggesting investigators believe the suspect deceived the victim into handing over the jewellery, rather than stealing it through burglary or robbery. The investigation remains under the authority of the French judicial system and is continuing.

The Monaco Public Prosecutor’s Office released no further details regarding the suspect’s identity or whether investigators believe additional victims may be linked to the case.

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Photo of Monaco’s court house by Cassandra Tanti