Balkan gang linked to Harry Winston heist?

French police suspect that the Pink Panther gang, could have been responsible for last week’s Harry Winston robbery, Paris media report. The recent robbery of Harry Winston fine jewelers in the French capital could have been perpetrated by the Pink Panther group, made up a sophisticated chain of criminals from the former Yugoslavia, whose specialty is robbing large jewelry stores using “Hollywood methods”. Balkan gang linked to Harry Winston heist? Last week, a French court convicted fugitive Dragan Mikic to 15 years, Goran Mikic to 10 years, and Boban Stojkovic to six years for robberies committed from 2001-2003, with booty totaling EUR 7.5mn. Having pulled off spectacular heists in Paris, Geneva, Dubai, San Tropez, Monaco, Tokyo and London, worth more than EUR 100mn, the Pink Panther group has become a nightmare for police around the world, Paris daily Figaro writes. After police stated that the latest robbery on Saturday bore all the hallmarks of the Pink Panther group’s style, French media have gone into the group’s modus operandi in detail. Once a location has been determined, a team is sent for reconnaissance. This is usually a couple who play the role of rich clients, who speak several languages very well, and who are sent to gage the security situation and plot an escape route. Another camouflaged team then takes care of the robbery. According to the French media, the group’s “hard core” is made up of 30 kingpins based in Zagreb, Tirana and Belgrade, who send instructions to operatives made up of former Serbian, Croatian and Montenegrin policemen and soldiers who fought in the wars in the former Yugoslavia.

Balkan gang linked to Harry Winston heist?

Last week, a French court convicted fugitive Dragan Mikić to 15 years, Goran Mikić to 10 years, and Boban Stojković to six years for robberies committed from 2001-2003, with booty totaling EUR 7.5mn.

Having pulled off spectacular heists in Paris, Geneva, Dubai, San Tropez, Monaco, Tokyo and London, worth more than EUR 100mn, the Pink Panther group has become a nightmare for police around the world, Paris daily Figaro writes.

After police stated that the latest robbery on Saturday bore all the hallmarks of the Pink Panther group’s style, French media have gone into the group’s modus operandi in detail.

Once a location has been determined, a team is sent for reconnaissance. This is usually a couple who play the role of rich clients, who speak several languages very well, and who are sent to gage the security situation and plot an escape route. Another camouflaged team then takes care of the robbery.

According to the French media, the group’s “hard core” is made up of 30 kingpins based in Zagreb, Tirana and Belgrade, who send instructions to operatives made up of former Serbian, Croatian and Montenegrin policemen and soldiers who fought in the wars in the former Yugoslavia.