Gang de Roubaix
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France| Gang de Roubaix | |
|---|---|
| Leader | Christophe Caze |
| Dates of operation | 27 January 1996 – 29 March 1996 |
| Motives | Destruction of a G7 meeting in Lille |
| Active regions | France |
| Ideology | Al-Qaeda |
| Major actions | robberies |
| Notable attacks | Missed car Bombing against a Police precinct in Lille, Armored Car Robbery, Murder |
| Status | dismantled |
| Size | 18 terrorists |
| Means of revenue | bank robberies |
Gang de Roubaix was a French terrorist cell tied with the Islamist group al-Qaeda. Its members were suspected of murder, various violent bank attacks, and a failed car bombing attack against a G7 finance ministers meeting in Lille. The cell was ended when R.A.I.D. assaulted their headquarters in Roubaix in 1996.
In 1992, the Bosnian War (1992–1995) began in the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina involving three ethnic groups: Bosnian Serbs, supported by Serbia, Bosnian Croats supported by Croatia and Bosniaks. Bosniaks received some military and financial support from Muslim countries.
Among the foreigners arriving in Bosnia were Christophe Caze, a French medicine student, who began taking care of casualties in Zenica. Soon afterwards, he converted to Islam and radicalized slowly. During his stay in Zenica, he made friends with Fateh Kamel, Mohammed Omary and Lionel Dumont, members of the Bosnian mujahideen and participated in the war.[citation needed]
In 1995, the Bosnian War ended with the Dayton Agreement. All the mujahideen, including Caze who joined them, were asked to leave Bosnia. Then Kamel, who was working for the GIA, convinced Caze and Dumont, to commit terrorist attacks in their home countries because of the diplomatic relationships between France and Algeria.[citation needed]
Kamel organized counterfeited administrative documents in his home country of Canada to allow his associates to escape safely after the attacks. Meanwhile, Caze and Dumont began recruiting in Roubaix, France and went to Bosnia in order to buy heavy weaponry with financial help from Abu Hamza al-Masri in London.[1]
Attacks in France
In late 1996, the newly created cell began spreading terror. In order to fund their future attacks, they planned several criminal acts.[2]
On 27 January 1996, some of their members, including Dumont, stole an Audi car but encountered a police patrol, who thought that they were dealing with minor criminals. Immediately, the group fired on the police with assault rifles, injuring one of the police officers who was hit twice. However, the attackers' weapons malfunctioned and the police were able to escape.
On 8 February 1996, they robbed a supermarket but had to flee when the police arrived. The ensuing chase ended with the group's car crashing. While firing on the police, they killed a Mercedes driver, Hammoud Feddal and stole his car.[3]
On 25 March, eight members of the gang assaulted a Brink's armoured truck near a shopping mall, injuring the driver in the leg. The attackers couldn't access the money and fled.[4]