Post date: Jul 29, 2013 9:4:44 PM
Gems stolen from a luxury hotel in the French seaside resort of Cannes were worth 136 million dollars (102 million euros), a state prosecutor says, making it the country's biggest ever jewellery theft.
CANNES, FRANCE (JULY 29, 2013) (BFMTV) - An armed robber stole gems worth $136 million (102 million euros) in a weekend jewellery heist in the French Riviera resort of Cannes, making it the country's biggest gem theft.
The prosecutor's office in the nearby city of Grasse issued the figure on Monday (July 29) based on an inventory of pieces seized in broad daylight from a precious jewellery exhibition at the luxury Carlton Hotel.It was well over twice initial estimates, which local media had put at around $53 million.
The thief burst into the Carlton, on the famed La Croisette seafront, close to midday on Sunday (July 28) armed with an automatic pistol and with a cap and a scarf concealing his face.
He threatened security guards and sales staff and left moments later with a briefcase containing 72 pieces, including jewels, rings, pendants and diamond-encrusted earrings, from a collection belonging to diamond specialist Leviev.
A union representative from the hotel, Zakaria Rami, said the staff themselves were surprised by the value of the items.
"I'm dismayed because it's incredible. It's incredible. I didn't expect these sorts of figures because we know we have jewellery exhibitions and everything, we knew that we had valuable items but we didn't know we had items of that value. No one in the hotel knew that, I reckon," he said.
Rami added that the hotel was not equipped to house items of such value, saying he believed the management had been irresponsible.
Just 34 of the stolen items were worth a total of $135 million, according to the prosecutor's office, which initially valued the loot at "several million euros".
Initial investigations suggested the man may have dropped several jewels as he hurried away on foot via a different door.
The hotel, celebrating its centenary this year, was where Alfred Hitchcock filmed scenes from the 1955 film "To Catch a Thief", starring Cary Grant as a one-time cat burglar and Grace Kelly as the beautiful Frances.
The heist came two months after two smaller jewellery robberies hit the annualCannes film festival, where movie stars are lent gowns and gems to parade on the red carpets.
It was the biggest theft of jewels on record in France.
A group of men disguised as women shoppers pulled out guns and made off with around $105 million worth of jewels from the Harry Winston jewellery store on the Avenue Montaigne in Paris in 2008.