The Montauban police in charge of investigations into the arson that destroyed the storage depot of the textile company Ligne T on December 21 have arrested the alleged perpetrators. Three young people aged about twenty years. A million and a half euros’ damage to essential business machinery destroyed by fire … On the night of 20 to 21 December, a large part of the company Ligne T, specializing in professional clothing, went up in smoke in the activity area of Albasud, in Montauban, leaving behind about thirty employees in fear of being laid off and a huge sense of waste.
One month and six days later, the Montauban police arrested the alleged perpetrators of the arson. A girl of 20 years and her 19-year-old brother living in Nègrepelisse were arrested. Another young man of 19 years, resident of Montbartier and friend of the first boy was also held in custody at Montauban police station. The trio confessed to the deed.
While images of the town’s CCTV cameras installed in the Montauban activity area showed nothing the day after the fire, the investigators found evidence through the trail of the petrol used to burn the warehouse. The police conducting investigations in the Albasud petrol stations were intrigued by the purchase of 1, 28 € of petrol at the time of the deed in the station about a hundred metres from the site of the incident. Betrayed by her credit card, the girl from Nègrepelisse did not attempt to deny the facts.
During their hearings, three suspected arsonists explained that that evening they had gone to a restaurant in the Albasud area. One of the boys did not have a driving license and wanted to “learn”. The trio set their sights on a Peugeot 205 parked out of sight against the walls of the Ligne T enterprise. Failing in his attempt to steal the vehicle, the suspects then decided to cover their tracks and burn the car. We know the result. The fire spread to the whole building and could have gone even further in this area full of warehouses.
The three youths were released from custody. They have been summoned before the criminal court of Montauban on April 12 by the judicial police.
[Translated by Act for freedom now!]
