Three men caught attempting shop burglary in Andorra; expelled for five years

A shop worker in Andorra la Vella heard noises coming from the first floor during the lunch hour. Because the shop door was locked, she went to inspect and found three men in dark clothing searching a cash register and other areas of the upstairs office. From the language they used she believed they were speaking Russian. When the men saw her they fled and she called the police. The door they had used to enter had been forced.

Police began searching but initially could not locate the suspects. Traffic officers in Escaldes then alerted police after three non-residents arrived to reclaim a French-registered car that had been towed for poor parking; they said they needed it to leave the country. As officers headed to the scene, the three men retrieved the vehicle and drove toward the French border, but a patrol stopped and checked them before they left Escaldes.

Store CCTV identified the three occupants as the suspects. A search of the car trunk uncovered a lock‑picking kit in a black case and other tools consistent with property crimes and with forcing the shop door, along with two folding knives and pliers. The three men were Georgian nationals who had come from France.

They were convicted of attempted theft. Each received a one‑year custodial sentence that was commuted to expulsion from the country for five years. Authorities noted that, as is common in such cases, the defendants’ insolvency means victims are unlikely to recover damages, and the low value of the vehicle also makes it insufficient to cover any losses.