What happened in 2010 was exactly the same as what happened in 2006. The vacuum gang were so successful in their first robbery in 2006 that they did it again…and again…and again. In fact, the gang hit 15 different Monoprix stores from 2006 to 2010. They hit several different arrondissements in Paris as well as stores in neighboring areas. Each time the thieves followed the exact same method. They would damage the alarm and enter the store wearing ski masks, then they would use their drill and their vacuum to take money right from the safe.
Over the years, the thieves were responsible for over $800,000 in thefts from the grocery store chain and despite the case being opened once again, the police had no leads. Over the years there were a few close calls for the thieves. At one robbery, an employee of the store returned after hours while the robbery was in progress. The thieves were armed however, and threatened the employee with it so that they could escape.
The most recent 2010 robbery the thieves were caught on tape and the entire process was really understood for the first time. The problem for police was that the thieves never took off their ski masks so there was no real hope of identifying them through the surveillance footage. The grocery store chain continues to stay silent on the robberies and they have not mentioned any precautions that they have taken in order to prevent the thefts from reoccurring.
Today the vacuum gang remains at large and they have not committed any thefts in recent years. It seems that the thieves were not only smart in their methods but smart enough to know when to quit. With 15 robberies over 5 years and over $800,000 in cash they were definitely playing it safe and making sure that they did not attract too much attention. It is perhaps their 2010 theft that got too much attention that put the vacuum gang into retirement.