Andorran Police Arrest Georgian Thief for €850 Tobacco Heist in Pas de la Casa
Police detained the man despite an existing arrest warrant and linked him to a persistent Georgian theft ring hitting Andorran border shops. A judge issued a prison term later swapped for deportation.
Key Points
- 39-year-old non-resident man arrested at Franco-Andorran border on judicial order.
- Suspected leader in February theft from Pas de la Casa shop, with three others involved.
- Charges include property theft and public order offenses tied to organized Georgian-linked group.
- Part of broader crackdown on cross-border thefts in border parishes like Encamp.
Andorran police arrested a 39-year-old non-resident man at the Franco-Andorran border over the weekend, following a judicial search and detention order for his alleged role in a February theft of tobacco worth around €850 from a Pas de la Casa commercial establishment.
The operation arose from an investigation prompted by the shop's report of the incident. Officers identified the suspect alongside three others and secured the court order against him for offences against property—specifically the theft—and against public order due to suspected involvement in an organised group.
Authorities view him as the main suspect in the case. The arrest forms part of wider efforts to address repeated thefts by a Georgian-linked network targeting border parishes, including a prior complaint from an Encamp business that month. The Batllia issued warrants for identified individuals on 17 September amid the ongoing inquiry.
Such incidents, though low-value, have prompted heightened security measures in the area. Police maintain active operations against cross-border theft rings.
Related Articles
Other articles from Catalan-language sources about the same story:
- Diari d'Andorra•
La policia deté un home per furtar tabac al Pas de la Casa
- El Periòdic•
Detingut a la frontera un home buscat pel furt de prop de 850 euros en tabac i per estar vinculat a un grup organitzat
- Bon Dia•
Detingut un home amb una ordre de recerca judicial per furt de tabac i pertinença a un grup organitzat
- Altaveu•
La policia va identificar quatre sospitosos de la banda dels 'lladres de tabac'
- Diari d'Andorra•
Detingut a la frontera amb França per un furt de tabac de prop de 850 euros
- Altaveu•
Enxampen entrant al Pas un integrant d'una banda de 'lladres de tabac' buscada per la Batllia