Kim Kardashian armedrobbery: women among suspects arrested

Suspects in the Kim Kardashian robbery ordeal have arrived at a
Paris police station as it emerged three women were among
those arrested in dawn raids.

Officers made multiple arrests - including a 72-year-old man - in
early morning raids on Monday after DNA evidence from tape
used to gag the reality star led to the identification of one
suspect.

Initial reports said up to 16 men - described as career criminals -
had been arrested but updated information reveals three of
those taken into custody were women.

Two of the arrested are also said to be diamond dealers.

It’s believed the women were instructed to trail Kim, 36, around
Paris in the days leading up to the robbery.

The oldest suspect to be arrested, known only as Pierre B, has
been described as a ‘career villain’ who lives in Grasse in the
south of France.

He’s believed to be part of an alleged criminal gang with ties
across different French and Belgian communities, who has made
millions from counterfeit money.

Keeping Up With The Kardashians star Kim was bound, gagged
and held at gunpoint at her rented Paris apartment on October 2
while a gang of masked men raided her jewellery boxes and
made away with £8.5 million worth of gems and two mobile
phones.

They gained entry to her quarters at the No Name Hotel after
threatening the building concierge, Abdulrahman, at knifepoint.
Abdulrahman has now returned to his home country of Algeria
after his French visa expired but his lawyer said the concierge
would return to Paris if required for the investigation.

Police have up to 96 hours to question the arrested men and
women before deciding whether or not to bring charges.

The suspects were identified after DNA evidence was left on a
piece of tape used to gag Kim during the ordeal; police say it
belonged to a man known to officers for past robbery and
criminal offences.

Police then tapped phones and began surveillance of the
identified suspect, which led to the discovery of further people
believed to be involved in the crime.

They even managed to track a meeting held after the robbery
between a member of the gang and a potential buyer of the
reality star’s expensive jewels.

One of the alleged robbers is also believed to have dropped a
jewel worth £28,000 on the pavement outside Kim’s flat, and
police were able to take a fingerprint from it which they matched
to a known criminal.

Police are now searching the men's homes and seizing any
related evidence, while other raids are underway at locations in
Paris including a central jewellery shop.

They are also investigating a theory that Kim's jewellery -
including a £4 million ring - could have been transported to
Antwerp, known as the diamond capital of Europe.

Belgian police have joined the investigation and checks are being
carried out at ports in the city.

Kim had been in Paris for Fashion Week when the incident
happened; she was alone in her luxury apartment with a stylist
and had been Snapchatting just before the robbery took place.
There have been questions raised about why she wasn’t
accompanied by a bodyguard - her security man Pascal Duvier
had been on assignment looking after other members of the
Kardashian family on a Paris night out at the time.

After the robbery, he warned: “The criminal acts that occurred in
Paris committed against Kim Kardashian was one of the most
sickening things I have ever seen or heard.

“We have tips and leads and we will find you. That I promise
you. You messed with the wrong one. You are weak for
attacking a woman. No more statements at this time. Please
respect the privacy of everyone involved and the family.”

There was also criticism of Kim flaunting her jewels on social
media; she Snapchatted a video of the diamond ring worth £4
million that was stolen in the raid.

Kim fled Paris the day after the ordeal to reunite with her
husband, Kanye West, and children in New York, but is said to
have spoken extensively to police and given a statement.

An investigating judge in France could now travel to New York to
speak with her further.

It’s also been claimed a video of the suspects will be sent to
Kim in the US to see if she can identify anyone from the night in
question.

“The hope is that she will be able to recognise the men, so as
to make positive identifications,” said an insider.

Kim’s lawyer, meanwhile, has said the reality star is willing to
return to France if necessary to help with the investigation.

“If she is summoned to France, she will come to France, but
judges also have the possibility of moving [to the USA]. This is a
formal process, which cannot be done on the phone, or even via
a video link,” said barrister Jean Veil last year.

Keeping Up With The Kardashians star Kim has kept a low
profile since the October attack, staying off social media and
rarely being seen in public.

In the last week, however, she has slowly started to return to the
limelight, posting again on her social media accounts. A preview
for an upcoming episode of her E! show also reveals she spoke
about the robbery on camera.

Kim says in the preview: "They're going to shoot me in the back.
There's no way out. It makes me so upset to think about it."

Mirror