FRENCH FRAUDSTERS WHO IMPERSONATED FOREIGN MINISTER WERE PLANNING A MAJOR NEW OPERATION

The real Le Drian, and the imposter

 
If you have been following the case of the French crew that stole an estimated €85m from wealthy victims, by posing as a French cabinet minister, in a elaborate scheme involving the creation of a duplicate of the minister's office, and the use of a silicone mask, the gang had even grander plans. We have previously covered this case in two articles:
(1) French Fraudsters impersonate Foreign Minister, take €8m from Victim.
(2) Identity of Principal Player in Massive Fraud involving the Impersonation of the Foreign Minister of France remains a mystery.

New information has recently emerged that adds a new, and extremely disturbing, dimension to the story. Among the items that French investigators discovered, while going through the images on one of the fraudsters' smartphones,was a photograph of a silicone mask of Prince Albert II of the Principality of Monaco. The successful impersonation of the leader of Monaco would afford the fraudsters entry into the country's financial system, including stored precious metals and currency, and also into restricted government records.

Prince Albert II of Monaco

The financial advantages that the crew would derive from posing as Prince Albert, even for a brief period, are obviously infinite. While we do not know precisely what the fraudsters had planned, before a wave of arrests interrupted their operation, we can only speculate that it was to be something on a grand scale. We shall be reporting on the trial, which will occur in the near future.