Seven men and a woman have gone on trial over a string of thefts carried out against celebrities in Paris.
The defendants, aged between 27 and 31, are accused of targeting high-profile figures including footballer Thiago Silva in 2018 and 2019.
An estimated €4.2m (£3.6m; $5m) in jewellery and other valuable items were taken from homes in the French capital.
Stolen items were later discovered at a flat, alongside a list of potential targets and their addresses.
Footballer Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting of Paris St-Germain was playing in a Uefa Champions League match against Liverpool in late November 2018, when he was robbed of valuables worth around €600,000 ($720,000, £510,000).
Less than a month later Thiago Silva – who was PSG captain at the time – returned from a French league game to find that jewellery and watches were missing. His losses were put at €1.2m ($1.4m, £1m).
Other victims of the gang include French rapper Booba, TV host Patrick Sébastien, chef Jean-Pierre Vigato and a wealthy Saudi national.
Police believe the suspects climbed buildings and entered through windows in the victims’ homes. After an investigation involving phone taps, seven men were arrested in August 2019. Credit: bbc.com
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