Nearly nine years after reality television star Kim Kardashian was robbed at gunpoint in Paris, the elderly gang known as the “grandpa robbers” are finally standing trial. The case, which stunned the world in 2016, is set to explore not only how the crime unfolded but also what became of Kardashian’s stolen jewels.
In the early hours of 3 October 2016, Kim Kardashian was resting in her luxury suite at the discreet Hotel de Pourtalès in Paris’ glitzy Madeleine district. She had been attending Paris Fashion Week events, and her security guard had briefly left to accompany her sister, Kourtney Kardashian, to a nearby club. Suddenly, a group of five men, disguised as police officers, burst into the hotel.
Armed and masked, the men threatened the night receptionist, Abderrahmane Ouatiki, a student working part-time, and forced him to lead them to Kardashian’s room. Once inside, they demanded her jewellery, shouting “the ring, the ring!” in broken English, while she struggled to comprehend the situation.
In a traumatic ordeal, Kardashian was bound with zip ties and duct tape using a method known in French criminal circles as saucissonnage – tying up victims like a sausage. The robbers fled the scene on bicycles and on foot, taking jewellery worth approximately $10 million (£7.5 million), including Kardashian’s $4 million (£3 million) engagement ring gifted by rapper Kanye West.
It later emerged that many of the gang members, most of whom were in their sixties and seventies, were unaware of who their victim even was until the news broke the following morning. Yunice Abbas, one of the gang members, recounted in his memoir how his wife, watching the TV coverage, immediately suspected his involvement.
Despite initial reports suggesting the robbery was the work of an elite criminal crew, French crime experts now suggest the gang was far from sophisticated. Mistakes were rife. Abbas dropped a bag of stolen jewels while fleeing on his bicycle. A passer-by found a diamond necklace the next day and wore it around the office, only realising its significance after seeing the news reports.
Furthermore, police quickly tracked the gang through DNA traces left at the crime scene, as well as extensive CCTV footage collected from across Paris. One of the key figures, Aomar Ait Khedache – nicknamed “Omar the Old” – had his DNA matched to the evidence. Police surveillance caught several gang members casually chatting at a Parisian café before their arrest in early 2017.
The trial will also attempt to determine the fate of the stolen jewels. Shortly after the heist, police traced phone movements showing that “Omar the Old” travelled to Antwerp in Belgium – the world’s largest diamond trading hub. It is believed many of the stolen pieces were melted down or broken apart to avoid detection. Abbas reportedly received just €75,000 (£64,000) for his share; others earned even less. Kardashian’s engagement ring, deemed too recognisable to sell, has never been recovered.
Kim Kardashian has spoken publicly about how the ordeal changed her, saying the traumatic event made her a “less materialistic person.” Following the robbery, the Kardashian family significantly reduced the real-time posting of their whereabouts on social media, a move influenced by fears over their safety.
During the investigation, suspicions arose over whether the gang had inside information. Court documents suggest the robbers obtained crucial details about Kardashian’s schedule from her own social media posts. Additionally, Gary Madar, an employee of a transport firm that served the Kardashians, was accused of providing information to the gang, although his lawyer has firmly denied any wrongdoing, arguing that no proof links him to the crime.
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The trial is expected to last just under three weeks. Although cameras are banned inside French courts, Kardashian’s arrival at the court on the Île de la Cité will undoubtedly attract significant media attention.
Patricia Tourancheau, a crime journalist who wrote extensively about the case, described the gang as “a bunch of old down-and-out burglars” rather than criminal masterminds. She remarked on the surreal contrast between the ageing thieves fleeing on bicycles and their global celebrity victim, who travels by private jet.
In his memoir, Abbas acknowledged the inevitability of prison time. He plans to bring a duffle bag to court on the final day of the trial, ready to be taken into custody. Reflecting on his life of crime, he wrote, “The problem with the past is that it sticks with you as long as you live.”
Kim Kardashian is expected to testify mid-May, facing the men who changed her life forever.
