Two individuals from Vallauris in southern France have been sentenced to jail time for their involvement in the high-profile robbery that occurred at a Cartier store in Monaco in 2017. The daring heist, which took place during broad daylight on a rainy Saturday, resulted in the theft of six million euros worth of jewels. The robbers managed to pull off the heist in just seven minutes, all while keeping the store personnel captive in the basement.
One of the perpetrators, Walid Bekkada, was handed a 10-year prison sentence by Monaco’s criminal court for his role in threatening the store’s security guard at gunpoint to gain entry to the store. He claimed during the trial that he was not a gangster and had only carried out the robbery under instruction. Sofiane Gallah, the second individual involved, received a seven-year jail term for his part in the theft. Gallah cited his upbringing in a neighborhood filled with negative influences as a contributing factor to his involvement in criminal activities.
In a swift response to the robbery, Monegasque police officers pursued the robbers and were able to recover almost all of the stolen jewels upon apprehending them. Despite Monaco’s reputation as a safe haven for the wealthy, this incident is not the first of its kind to occur in the principality. In a similar event back in 2012, four Lithuanian men successfully stole 50 watches valued at 200,000 euros from a different jewelry store in Monaco.
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