Two Beausoleil residents involved in a high-value watch deal have been released on bail in Nice, to the chagrin of prosecutors, after having been arrested and charged with kidnapping a Monegasque who was acting as an intermediary, local French daily Monaco Matin reported.
Abdel and Samir had wanted to sell six Audemars-Piguet and Rolex watches to Italian buyers and arranged to meet, first in San Remo, and then in Milan, taking their interpreter with them.
The buyers offered 140,000 euros in cash for five of the watches. However, when it came to the handover of the money, most of the notes were fake. The two brothers were convinced that the Monaco middleman was involved in the swindle, and threatened him with violence before taking him to the Beausoleil police station where they were arrested on suspicion of kidnapping and making death threats.
In court, the Monegasque victim claimed he was not involved in any scam, while the two brothers said he should be in the dock rather than themselves. The two brothers extensive criminal records may not help them when the case returns to court in January.
PHOTO: Nice courthouse
