Cannes heist: £13m in jewels and watches taken

Four robbers looted £13 million ($20m) in jewellery and watches from a boutique in the French resort town of Cannes just days before the start of its star-studded film festival. The Riviera town that hosts the red carpet extravaganza has become a key target for thieves at a time of year when top jewellers have their best pieces in stock to adorn the globe’s hottest celebrities. The latest robbery came on Tuesday at the Cartier boutique on the beachfront promenade known as the Croisette. One of the robbers wore an old-man mask and carried a pistol as he barged into the store, letting in two accomplices with scarves around their faces, while a fourth man stood guard outside, said sources close to the investigation.£

There are more people and more wealth, thieves come especially for the event.

Cannes police commissioner, Philippe Jos

Two employees and a shopper were in the store at the time. The robbers stuffed the jewellery and watches into a leather satchel and jewellery bag. In their rush to escape, a number of expensive watches fell to the pavement and were recovered by the store. The thieves made off in a Mercedes that was later found burned out in a residential part of town. Police are using surveillance cameras from the store in a bid to identify the thieves. Experts say it is relatively easy for robbers to smuggle jewels out of France, find a corrupt polisher to change its shape and resell it. Five hundred additional plain clothed police officers have been assigned to Cannes for the film festival.

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