A luxury jewelry boutique in central Paris has been robbed and an estimated haul of €10 million ($11.8 million) in goods reported stolen. The police have apprehended two suspects, and a manhunt continues for the other thieves.
The robbery occurred at around noon on Tuesday, with the suspects targeting the store on the iconic Place Vendôme. While police have not yet officially named the boutique, a heavy law-enforcement presence was spotted at the Bulgari store, which was apparently the robbers’ target.
PARIS – Un braquage à eu lieu dans la bijouterie #Bvlgari sur la Place Vendôme. Les auteurs ont foncé sur les policiers avec une voiture qui ont ouvert le feu. Plusieurs interpellations. pic.twitter.com/0R1zWBd4Fe
Two suspects were apprehended as they tried to flee the scene of the crime, police said, without providing any further detail. Local media reports citing police sources indicated that the robbery turned into a high-speed chase, as the suspects attempted to get away using a gray BMW and two scooters.
During the chase, one officer was slightly injured when he was hit by the car, while one of the detained suspects was shot in the leg, French media reported.
An unknown number of suspects remain at large. According to the Le Parisien newspaper, they managed to flee with a large haul of stolen goods with an estimated value of around €10 million ($11.8 million).
The incident is the latest in a string of high-profile jewelry heists in the French capital this summer. In July, an armed robber lifted a haul of precious stones and jewelry in broad daylight from a Chaumet store near the Champs-Elysées. The robber on that occasion was arrested alongside an accomplice shortly after the raid, and the loot, valued at nearly €3 million ($3.5 million), was recovered.
Only a few days after the Chaumet heist, two robbers hit a Dinh Van store, stealing some €400,000 in cash, and jewelry with an estimated value of €2 million ($2.3 million).
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