PARIS // Two men suspected of stealing safes out of a dozen hotel rooms by posing as wealthy Gulf tourists have been arrested in France, police said on Saturday.
The thefts took place at a range of high-end hotels dotted across France, from Monaco and Nice to the chic suburbs of Paris.
The thieves – armed with a chisel and a stethoscope – would typically find out the room number of wealthy Gulf visitors, then pose as them at the reception desk, saying that they had lost their key.
Using the stethoscope, they would listen at the room door to ensure that no one was inside. They would then use the chisel to remove the safe from the wall, place it in a suitcase and calmly leave.
The suspects, aged 56 and 31, were finally caught at a hotel in the central French town of Saint-Etienne on August 24 after being identified from the video surveillance of a previous heist.
According to France’s RTL radio, police have since found €80,000 (Dh328,534) worth of jewellery, luxury clothes and foreign currency – mostly from Gulf countries – in their possession.
They also found 20 hotel room key cards, a stethoscope, hammer and chisel.
* Agence France-Presse
Other workplace saving schemes
- The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
- Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
- National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
- In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
- Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.
The specs
Price, base / as tested Dh135,000
Engine 1.6L turbo
Gearbox Six speed automatic with manual and sports mode
Power 165hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque 240Nm @ 1,400rpm 0-100kph: 9.2 seconds
Top speed 420 kph (governed)
Fuel economy, combined 35.2L / 100km (est)
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
Tips for SMEs to cope
- Adapt your business model. Make changes that are future-proof to the new normal
- Make sure you have an online presence
- Open communication with suppliers, especially if they are international. Look for local suppliers to avoid delivery delays
- Open communication with customers to see how they are coping and be flexible about extending terms, etc
Courtesy: Craig Moore, founder and CEO of Beehive, which provides term finance and working capital finance to SMEs. Only SMEs that have been trading for two years are eligible for funding from Beehive.
