According to the Républicain Lorrain, suspicions were raised when the perpetrator was stopped for a routine traffic check. When he refused to comply, officers raised the alarm and investigated the man’s vehicle. Suspecting he was trafficking drugs, the investigators were surprised to discover dozens of puppies instead.
On 5 February , after a year of investigation, a search of the man’s home confirmed police suspicions. The investigators discovered 71 puppies of different, highly sought-after breeds, such as spitz, bichons, French bulldogs, chihuahuas, and more. The perpetrator was also found to be a luxury car collector, owning a yellow Lamborghini Aventador among others. In all, officers seized 10,000 euros in cash, and discovered 400,000 euros in criminal assets, which conflicted with the man’s much more modest tax declarations.
He carried out his illegal trade on the Leboncoin website. To fool buyers, the puppies were sold at a normal price and were presented as breeding puppies, therefore traced. But the absence of adult dogs during the search left little doubt about the nature of his business.
The man’s illegal exploits had already formed part of a discussion on RTL France radio, after a number of buyers appealed to a consumer protection programme to complain about their puppies’ poor health and lack of official papers. The false breeder had then had to justify himself to the radio.
The breeder was promptly held in custody and five other people have been arrested in connection to the trafficking. However, a wider investigation has been opened to discern whether this particular breeder forms part of a larger trafficking ring. The puppies, who were held in “acceptable” conditions, have since been passed to an animal shelter near Paris and will be put up for adoption.
The story should serve as a warning against purchasing pets from unofficial breeders. The SPA animal protection agency sent out warnings against such activity back in 2018:
