Massive Theft of Spare Parts at Stellantis Site Uncovered
The national police have disrupted a large-scale spare parts theft operation at the Stellantis facility in Noidans-lès-Vesoul, the group's global distribution center for motorcycle parts. This factory stores over 350,000 unique components used for maintaining Peugeot, Citroën, and Opel vehicles.
Details of the Arrest
Two temporary workers, aged 35 and 38, were caught red-handed carrying bags filled with stolen parts. One suspect is a local from Haute-Saône, France, and the other is Georgian. Both had been working in the spare parts department for several months.
Investigation Findings
- Police tracked suspicious activity through video surveillance despite increased security measures.
- Officers apprehended the suspects near a cut fence, as they prepared to sell the stolen items.
- Searches of their homes revealed stolen goods valued at nearly €500,000—approximately €400,000 at one residence and €100,000 at the other.
- Authorities also seized cash and discovered a peer-to-peer resale platform used for distributing the stolen parts.
Corporate Response and Loss Assessment
The Stellantis group, which had a similar theft incident in 2014, has launched a comprehensive inventory to evaluate the full extent of the damage. The estimated total loss, including the market value of parts resold, approaches two million euros.
"The total amount of losses, including the market value of the resold parts, is estimated at close to two million euros."
Summary: Two temporary workers were caught stealing and reselling valuable spare parts at Stellantis' distribution center, exposing a theft operation worth nearly two million euros and prompting a thorough damage assessment.