SHARE
COPY LINK

CRIME

Two held as Paris pedestrian dies after being hit by electric scooter

French police have detained two women suspected of being on an electric scooter that fatally injured an Italian pedestrian in Paris, prosecutors said on Thursday.

Two held as Paris pedestrian dies after being hit by electric scooter
The safety of scooters has been the subject of fierce debate in Paris. Illustration photo: Thomas Samson/AFP

The pair are suspected of fleeing the scene by the Seine river after the incident last week, which revived debate over the safety risks in allowing the devices on busy city streets.

A search for the riders and calls for witnesses were launched after the accident shortly after midnight on June 14th.

The victim, a 32-year-old Italian identified as Miriam, was with friends on a pedestrian stretch of the riverbank when she was hit by a scooter driven by two women.

She was taken to hospital in a critical condition and died two days later.

The two suspects face charges of manslaughter and fleeing the scene of an accident.

A #Miriam hashtag went viral in indignant social media posts, with many calling the scooters a public danger that should be subject to stricter controls.

Since 2018, Paris has been flooded with at least 15,000 electric scooters available for rent, drawing the ire of residents and city officials complaining they are cluttering up already crowded sidewalks and squares.

Officially they are forbidden on sidewalks and only one rider is allowed, but enforcement is scant and many riders, including tourists, ignore or are unaware of the rules.

Member comments

Log in here to leave a comment.
Become a Member to leave a comment.

CRIME

Spain and France bust million-euro-a-day money laundering network

Spanish and French police said Friday they had smashed an international money-laundering network capable of handling a million euros per day, arresting five people in Spain, including its leader.

Spain and France bust million-euro-a-day money laundering network

Jointly run by France’s anti-fraud squad and the Spanish police with Europol’s support, the investigation began in February 2021 when French customs agents found more than 500,000 euros hidden in a car in southern France.

Led by a French magistrate, investigators discovered the existence of a “criminal scheme for laundering large quantities of cash across Europe”, which had been operating since at least 2019, a joint statement said.

This network, made up of Chinese nationals living in various European countries, was able to integrate huge sums of cash — more than one million euros ($1.1 million) per day — back into the legitimate economy.

“Their modus operandi was based on the existence of many collection points for money that was mainly coming from trading in counterfeit goods, tax and customs fraud, and pimping” sex workers, it said.

The money was then transferred to the network which then organised its distribution across Europe.

Spanish police arrested five people in Madrid, Valencia, Alicante and Barcelona, including a Chinese businessman who headed the network.

Investigators also searched various premises and homes, and by using sniffer dogs were able to find “almost 160,000 euros in cash hidden behind false ceilings and in portable refrigerators” and in other well-concealed places.

“This international operation… shows the leading role of Asian criminal groups in money laundering activities in Europe,” they said.

SHOW COMMENTS