Police collar suspect in multi-million-euro Paris wine thefts

PARIS — Police arrested a 44-year-old man Thursday on suspicion of having stolen more than 500 bottles of fine wine worth hundreds of millions of euros from some of the best restaurants in Paris.

He was collared whilst returning to his home in Colombes, west of the French capital, with 262 bottles of wine in his truck that were allegedly lifted from a Paris restaurant overnight Tuesday, Bastille Day.

But he had been under police surveillance since the March 13 theft of several dozen bottles of vintage wines from the upmarket Hediard restaurant and fine grocery shop, a police source said.

The suspect's identity was not disclosed.