Paris thieves swipe jewels worth $100m

Armed robbers pulled off one of the world’s biggest jewellery heists at a famed Paris store, making off with diamonds and valuables worth €80-million ($102-million), investigators said on Friday.

The three robbers on Thursday stole nearly all the jewellery on display at Harry Winston’s jewellers on the Avenue Montaigne, which attracts a wealthy international clientele.

The men knew the names of some of the shop’s employees and knew exactly where to look to find jewels that were not on display, the source said.

Harry Winston’s Paris store, which lies near the city’s best-known avenue, the Champs-Élysées, was hit by another heist almost exactly a year ago when armed robbers stole an estimated $12,8-million worth of valuables.

The American jewellery chain has stores across the world and has sold precious stones to royal families and lent them to film stars for events such as the Cannes film festival and the Oscars in Hollywood.—AFP