French police have arrested two men suspected of stealing safes from hotel rooms by posing as Gulf tourists.
The thieves allegedly pretended to reception staff they were guests who had lost keys, in order to gain access to the rooms.
The thieves used a stethoscope to listen at the door to ensure the coast was clear, police said, then used a hammer and chisel to remove the safes.
High-end hotels were targeted, including in Paris and on the Riviera.
The two suspects, aged 56 and 31, were arrested at a hotel in the central French town of Saint-Etienne on 24 August.
Police said they had been identified using surveillance video images from a previous theft.
According to officials, the removed safes were carried out of the hotels in suitcases.
France’s RTL radio said police had now recovered jewellery, luxury clothes and foreign currency worth about €80,000 (£58,000).
They are also reported to have found 20 hotel room key cards, a stethoscope, a hammer and a chisel.
