PSA Peugeot Citroen sites raided in emissions probe

Three months after a probe at French carmaker Renault, PSA Peugeot Citroen Group said on Thursday its premises had been raided by anti-fraud squad.

A technician uses a portable emissions measurement system on a Citroen car during emissions tests. Reuters/Benoit Tessier/File

"As part of ongoing investigations on pollutants in the automobile sector, PSA Group has been the subject of a visit and a seizure by France's General Directorate for Competition Policy, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control (DGCCRF)," PSA Group said in a statement.

The fraud squad said separately that the raid was prompted by harmful emission "anomalies" found in three PSA car models during pollution tests triggered by a Volkswagen emissions cheating scandal.

Five sites raided

Four sites were raided in the Paris suburbs and one in Montbeliard in eastern France.

PSA said it was cooperating fully with the directorate, which comes under France's economy ministry, and confirmed the "compliance of its vehicles in pollutant emissions in all countries where it operates".

Gilles Le Borgne, head of research and development at Peugeot Citroen, told AFP that the investigators took away computers, which he expected would be returned on Friday.

"We are being completely transparent... we are clearly going to provide maximum collaboration," he added.

Trade unions at PSA on Thursday showed their support for the company.

"We are very confident, this doesn't seem to be worrying the management," said FO union representative Christian Lafaye.

- with AFP