Melville Allusion/Copy?

So I loved this movie (both parts) but I couldn't help but noticing the scene in which Mesrine is stowing away in the trunk of a car and the police are doing vehicle inspections is EXACTLY like a scene from Melville's Le Circle Rouge. The similarities were so much that I was confused if I had seen it in a trailer or was just experiencing deja vu. Did anyone else notice this? Was it a rip off scene or more likely a nod? Or did the real Mesrine happen to play into an extremely similar situation?