8 probed in Eiffel Tower souvenir racket

The Paris prosecutors’ office says it has opened an inquiry into eight people suspected of running a black-market ring pedaling mini Eiffel Tower replicas and other souvenirs.

The prosecutors’ office says in a statement released Friday that four of those under investigation were Chinese nationals who wholesaled the trinkets, and the other four are from sub-Saharan Africa and are suspected of organizing the vendors who congregate in the tony neighborhoods near the Eiffel Tower.

The investigation centers on alleged infractions including employing illegal aliens. The statement says all eight suspects were placed in custody pending the results of the investigation.

It says police seized euro241,000 and 140,000 Paris souvenirs during a sting operation targeting the ring earlier this week.