Paris, France – 11 January 2018 –
Armed robbers made off with millions of euros worth of jewellery after smashing the windows of the world-famous Ritz hotel in Paris on Wednesday, police said, adding that three suspects had been detained, Agence France-Presse reported.
Two suspected thieves were still on the run, according to a police source, who said the value of the items taken was “several million euros”.
The five men armed with hatchets arrived at the hotel in Paris’ Place Vendome around 6.30pm before smashing the windows on the ground floor and making off with the jewels.
“World-famous jewellers display their jewellery at the Ritz,” a police source said.
Three of the gang were detained while fleeing the scene.
“We heard a loud noise and lots of racket in the street,” one hotel employee told AFP. “Passers-by took refuge in the hotel. We didn’t know what was going on until someone told us there had been a robbery.”