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Cannes thief 'steals 40m euros of jewels' from hotel | Cannes thief 'steals 40m euros of jewels' from hotel |
(about 1 hour later) | |
An armed man has stolen jewels worth about 40m euros ($53m; £34m) in the French Riviera resort of Cannes, officials say. | An armed man has stolen jewels worth about 40m euros ($53m; £34m) in the French Riviera resort of Cannes, officials say. |
They say the hold-up took place on Sunday morning at a jewellery exhibition at the Carlton Hotel. | They say the hold-up took place on Sunday morning at a jewellery exhibition at the Carlton Hotel. |
The hotel is located on the Croisette promenade - one of the most prestigious locations in the town. | The hotel is located on the Croisette promenade - one of the most prestigious locations in the town. |
The theft is the largest in a series of high-profile robberies in Cannes, which is famous for its annual film festival. | The theft is the largest in a series of high-profile robberies in Cannes, which is famous for its annual film festival. |
The Carlton Hotel is where Alfred Hitchcock filmed To Catch A Thief - his 1955 film about a jewel thief operating in the French Riviera. | The Carlton Hotel is where Alfred Hitchcock filmed To Catch A Thief - his 1955 film about a jewel thief operating in the French Riviera. |
'Rich pickings' | 'Rich pickings' |
During the latest theft, an exhibition of diamonds by the jeweller Leviev was being held in the lobby of the hotel. | |
Local media said the robber made off with the jewels in a briefcase. It is not yet known who the owner was. | Local media said the robber made off with the jewels in a briefcase. It is not yet known who the owner was. |
If the value of the jewels is confirmed, it would reportedly be the second-largest heist in France. | |
A Cannes police spokesman said: "A full and urgent operation is under way to catch the culprit and recover these jewels. Thieves see Cannes as rich pickings." | |
The Cannes film festival, which attracts celebrities from around the world, was hit by two jewellery thefts in May this year. | |
A necklace by Swiss jeweller De Grisogono reportedly worth 1.9m euros ($2.5m; £1.6m) vanished after a celebrity party at a five-star hotel in the resort town of Cap d'Antibes. | A necklace by Swiss jeweller De Grisogono reportedly worth 1.9m euros ($2.5m; £1.6m) vanished after a celebrity party at a five-star hotel in the resort town of Cap d'Antibes. |
A week before, more than 777,000 euros ($1m; £650,000) worth of jewels were taken from the hotel room of an employee of exclusive Swiss jewellers Chopard. | A week before, more than 777,000 euros ($1m; £650,000) worth of jewels were taken from the hotel room of an employee of exclusive Swiss jewellers Chopard. |
The Carlton Hotel itself saw also a huge robbery in August 1994, when gunmen burst into its jewellery store just as it was closing and made off with jewels then valued at £30m (now $77m; £50m; 58m euros). | |
France's biggest ever robbery took place in 2008, when three men stole almost every piece on display at a jewellery exhibition in Paris with an estimated value of 85m euros ($113m; £73m). |