Cannes rocked by R230m jewel heist on eve of film festival

FOUR robbers looted ß17.5million (R230-million) 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 carrying out film-worthy heists at a time of year when top jewellers have their best pieces in stock to adorn the globe’s hottest celebrities.

The threat of such thefts and jitters four months after jihadist attacks in Paris left 17 dead have led authorities to boost security for the glittering festival which sees the town’s population triple to 210 000 people.

The latest robbery came on Tuesday at the Cartier boutique on the beachfront promenade, 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, sources close to the investigation said.

Two employees and a shopper were inside at the time.

The robbers stuffed the jewellery and watches into a leather satchel and a jewellery bag.

In their rush to escape, a number of expensive watches fell to the pavement and were recovered by the shop.

The thieves made off in a Mercedes that was later found burnt out in a residential part of town. The car had been stolen in March.

Police are using surveillance cameras from the store in a bid to identify the thieves.

The large Cartier store sits next to the luxury Carlton Hotel, which was also hit by a jewellery theft in July 2013 while it was hosting an exhibition and sale by Israeli brand Leviev.

On that occasion, the thief helped himself to more than ß140- million (R1.8-billion) worth of items – including diamond-encrusted jewellery.

The man with a semi-automatic pistol, his head covered in a cloth, walked into an exhibition being held in a wing of the hotel with direct access to the street. The robber cleared the display cabinets before simply melting into the crowd on the Croisette and has never been caught.

That was part of a string of robberies in 2013, many of which remain unsolved.

An additional 500 officers are being sent to Cannes to secure this year’s festival – most of them will be patrolling in civilian clothes to remain discreet. – AFP