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Five Charged Over Ardèche Freight-Train Thefts With Four in Pretrial Detention

Prosecutors describe a coordinated team raiding wagons during brief stops with losses near €2 million.

Overview

  • Authorities charged five suspects after arrests in La Voulte-sur-Rhône, with four men jailed before trial and a woman placed under judicial supervision.
  • Investigators attribute 32 thefts in 2025–2026 to the same network, with total losses estimated at about €2 million, according to the Privas prosecutor.
  • The group targeted trains during 10–20 minute halts at La Voulte, forced locks on trailers, and took small parcels such as multimedia and electronic goods.
  • Accomplices met the trains in Dijon to pick up goods the thieves had sorted during the journey, indicating a planned division of roles and routes.
  • A probe launched late 2025 led to the arrests with about forty gendarmes, and prosecutors note a separate March 2025 freight theft was unrelated and caused roughly €4,000 in losses.