Balmain collection thieves sentenced: On Thursday, the Bobigny Correctional Court sentenced two men to one year in prison for their involvement in the theft of items from the Balmain collection intended for last September’s Paris Fashion Week. This ruling came a month after initial convictions were handed down for the robbery.

One of the convicted men will serve his sentence behind bars, while the other will wear an electronic tag to fulfill his punishment. A third defendant was released. In the preceding trial on the same case, two individuals received sentences of 12 and 18 months, respectively, with another defendant being released. The prosecutor’s office, originally seeking terms of six and five years, appealed against the initial verdict.

In the second trial on March 13, Zouheir B., who received a three-year prison sentence with two years suspended and was incarcerated, absolved his accomplices entirely. He admitted succumbing to temptation due to financial difficulties and psychological pressure from an unnamed individual. Zouheir B. mentioned being coerced into obtaining information about deliveries, unaware of the illegality at the time.

However, the prosecutor expressed skepticism regarding Zouheir B.’s account, suggesting a more organized operation. She hinted at the involvement of Zouheir B.’s cousin, who was the driver of the targeted van. The cousin was released by the court.

The prosecutor sought five and four years of imprisonment for the defendants, along with a €10,000 fine for each. Defense attorneys urged the court to consider material evidence and not to rely solely on coincidences.

The robbery occurred on September 16, 2023, when a DHL subcontractor’s van was ambushed near Paris after leaving the Roissy-en-France logistics hub. Masked assailants intercepted the van, threatened the driver, and made off with the vehicle and its 146 parcels of luxury goods, including items from the Balmain collection slated for Paris Fashion Week. The estimated damage, both material and non-material, to Balmain was approximately €645,000.