PARIS: Armed robbers burst into a famed Paris jewellery store and snatched valuables including diamonds worth 50 million euros (64 million dollars), a source close to the enquiry said Friday. The three robbers on Thursday stole nearly all the jewellery on display at Harry Winston’s jewellers on the Avenue Montaigne, which attracts wealthy international clients.
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-Elysees, was hit by another heist almost exactly a year ago when armed robbers stole an estimated 10 million euros worth of valuables.
The US 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 or the Oscars in Hollywood.
