French police have arrested five people, including a veteran jewel thief, in connection with an armed heist in broad daylight at a Paris store of luxury brand Piaget, a source close to the case said Wednesday.
In the August 1 robbery, the gang made off with 10 to 15 million euros ($10.5 to $15.8 million) worth of jewelry and watches, according to police estimates.
For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
Prosecutors said at the time that three people were directly involved in the early afternoon heist, two men dressed in suits and a woman wearing a dress. At least one of them was armed.
Nobody was hurt during the heist.
The store is located on the Rue de la Paix in the heart of the French capital, situated near the prestigious Place Vendome and home to several high-end jewelry stores.
Police arrested five suspects on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Among them was 66-year-old Aissa Bendjaber, sentenced earlier this month to 12 years in prison for a 2016 robbery at another famous luxury goods house, Chopard. On conditional release at the time of the verdict, he had failed to show up in court.
Bendjaber, nicknamed the “The Borsalino man” because he often wears a hat, is suspected of having participated in several heists totaling millions of euros worth of stolen goods.
The area around Place Vendome in central Paris is frequently targeted in robberies.
In April, three people on motorbikes robbed the Bulgari store in the neighborhood, making off with several million euros worth of jewelry.
Piaget, founded in Switzerland, makes high-end jewelry and luxury watches with price tags that can reach several tens of thousands of euros.
It is a subsidiary of the Richemont group, which also owns several other luxury goods companies including Cartier, Baume and Mercier, Chloe, and Van Cleef and Arpels.
Read more:
Piaget Paris store robbed, millions worth of jewelry stolen
Chaos erupts on London’s Oxford Street after TikTok trend incites looting
Also Read
-
UK seeing record levels of retail theft amid inflation
Theft from convenience stores in the UK reached record levels last year, according to a trade body, blaming criminal gangs and a cost-of-living crisis ... World News -
US retail CEOs signal rising alarm as large-scale theft eats away billions in sales
Retail executives are sounding the alarm on in-store shoplifting as theft burns a multibillion dollar hole in their balance sheets. While most are ... Economy -
TikTok, YouTube trends linked to car theft amid increasing ‘performance crime’ videos
The sharp uptick in stolen or damaged cars has been linked to viral videos, posted to TikTok and other social media platforms, teaching people how to ... World News
