Photo: AFPThe Local · 6 Sep 2016, 16:41Published: 06 Sep 2016 16:41 GMT+02:00A Paris court on Tuesday jailed 35 ex-employees of the prestigious Drouot auction house for stealing valuable antiques and artworks in an insider racket thought to date back decades. The porters -- who transported and stored objects destined for sale by Drouot -- were sentenced to up to three years in jail with 18 months suspended. Investigators alleged institutionalised theft by the porters, known as "Les Savoyards" as all members of the secretive group came from the French Alpine region of Savoie. The porters had monopolised the transport and handling of valuables for Drouot, one of the world's oldest auction houses, since 1860. Two pieces by leading Art Deco designer Eileen Gray went missing in July 2006, appearing three months later on the Drouot auction block where they sold for a combined total of one million euros.

Source: The Local September 06, 2016 14:37 UTC