Gang of armed robbers steal jewellery worth millions of euros in Paris

An armed gang on Saturday (May 18) staged a robbery in France's capital Paris which was aimed at looting the exclusive Harry Winston boutique, also known as “Jeweler to the Stars.”

As per local media reports, the robbers snatched jewellery from a shop near the world-famous Champs Elysees avenue, which is one of the poshest areas in the city, before speeding away on motorbikes.

The police said that the team of robbers, with one of them armed with a long weapon, may have escaped with millions of euros in loot.

The footage of the incident broadcasted by BFM-TV showed the individuals dressed in black. They fired a gunshot outside the shop on Avenue Montaigne, news agency AFP reported citing a police source familiar with the case.

The reports stated that the robbery occurred at around 11:45 am (0945 GMT).

It had been a "warning shot" with "no one injured", the source familiar with the case added.

The Paris prosecutor's office overseeing the investigation into the incident confirmed that the location of the robbery was Avenue Montaigne. This is where Harry Winston's by-appointment store is located.

According to the source, it could be "several days" before the exact value of the robbery can be ascertained.

Earlier, in the year 2007-08, over 900 items estimated at a whopping 78.9 million ($86 million at today's prices) were robbed in what is called one of the largest such thefts that took place anywhere in the world.

A Paris court in the year 2015 sentenced eight men to prison terms from nine months to 15 years over the robbery.

The incident also comes after highly organised gunmen freed a convict from a prison convoy in northern France, claiming the lives of two guards.

Finding and arresting criminals is one of the main priorities for the government in order to showcase its seriousness towards maintaining public order as it gears up for European elections scheduled in June and the Olympic Games in July-August.

(With inputs from agencies)