Massive jewel heist in Paris

metman

French police yesterday ordered a Europe-wide hunt for a band of audacious armed robbers who disguised themselves as women in order to pull off one of the world's biggest jewellery robberies.

Four men, some wearing wigs and female clothing, made a rapid getaway from the exclusive Harry Winston store in Paris after stealing almost every piece of jewellery on display and emptying two backdoor storage cases.


Police put the estimated total value of the haul at €80m (£70m), making it by far the largest jewel robbery carried out in France. "This is certainly a record," said Doron Levy, a spokesman for the French union of jewellers. "It exceeds anything we've seen here going back years."

The group burst into the upmarket jewellers at around 5.30pm on Thursday, eluding security guards with their unusual disguises and swiftly producing handguns from their pockets. Speaking a mixture of French and a foreign language not recognised by witnesses, some of the men began herding employees and customers into a corner, threatening them at gunpoint if they did not cooperate. No shots were fired but several members of staff were reported to have been assaulted.

The other robbers then carried out a quick tour of the boutique, stuffing diamond rings, necklaces, broaches and luxury watches into bags. Appearing to have detailed knowledge of the store, they knew the location of supposedly top-secret storage boxes and referred to staff by their first names. Within minutes, the shop was almost empty, and the robbers had sped off.

Police from France's organised crime unit have been charged with the investigation of what French media have dubbed the "steal of the century". Yesterday they admitted it bore all the signs of having been meticulously planned by highly experienced criminals. "We're dealing with real pros here," said one source.

Situated on the Avenue Montaigne, playground of Paris's rich and famous, Harry Winston was an obvious choice for a gang looking to pull off a high-profile and lucrative robbery. Specialists in so-called "ultra-luxe" jewellery, the American store is a staple for international celebrities and, according to Levy, has a reputation for precious stones almost unrivalled in the world.

"This could have been a reason [for the robbery] because there is an enormous amount of interest in [stones] right now," he said.

Yesterday the gilt doors of the Paris branch were shut to customers, and three of its five grey velvet display cases were empty of jewellery. A statement from Winston's New York headquarters said they were "cooperating with the authorities in their investigation".

The area around Avenue Montaigne is familiar with such incidents, though not on this scale. Last week the local Cartier store was robbed by a couple who fled with diamonds, and the Harry Winston branch itself was attacked last October, when thieves stormed through the doors in broad daylight and made off with €20m in gems.

The area's ease of access - with the fast-moving traffic of the Champs-Elysées on one side and the main roads lining the Seine on the other - makes it ideal for criminals. "In five minutes they are at the périphérique [Paris ring road]; in 20 minutes they are kilometres away," said Levy.

However, industry experts said the thieves would find it difficult to sell any of the Winston jewellery in western Europe - at least without dismantling it. The possibility that they had links to eastern Europe, which has become a thriving market for high-end stolen goods, has not been ruled out by police.

Source.

Four men, some wearing wigs and female clothing....deadwood, where were you yesterday? :eek:

Eru

metman wrote: »

French police yesterday ordered a Europe-wide hunt

Bloody French trying to give us orders again! If they ask nicely I might look under the sofa cushions :P

metman

French police have released an image of an individual they wish to question in relation to this robbery:




Anyone with any information is asked to get in touch with the following officer:

Random

LOL, this forum beats AH sometimes

CLADA

metman wrote: »

Speaking a foreign language not recognised by witnesses, some of the men began herding employees and customers into a corner, threatening them at gunpoint if they did not cooperate. No shots were fired but several members of staff were reported to have been assaulted.

They're Irish.