Three jewellery thieves almost pulled off a multi-million euro heist by robbing a luxury boutique in Paris before being chased down by police.
The thieves stole €10m (£8.6m) worth of jewellery from a Bulgari shop on the Place Vendôme near the Ritz hotel in broad daylight, but were arrested after officers opened fire on their getaway car.
The individuals were dressed in sharp suits and armed with guns when they carried out the robbery shortly before midday on Tuesday, the Reuters news agency reported.
They then attempted to flee the scene in a BMW but were shot at by police less than two miles away near the Les Halles shopping centre.
The three then tried to ditch some of the stolen items and flee on foot but were captured by police. A manhunt is underway for four accomplices who sped off from the heist on scooters.
A spokesperson for Bulgari said that nobody was hurt during the robbery.
The Italian jewellery brand had recently carried out extensive renovations at its Place Vendôme store, including erecting marble columns to evoke its origins in Rome.
Place Vendôme, an ornate square built on the orders of Louis XIV, is home to some of Europe’s most high-end jewellers including Cartier and Chaumet as well as the fashion houses Chanel, Dior and Louis Vuitton.
Paris has been struck by numerous high-stakes robberies in recent months.
In July, €2m worth of jewellery stolen from a Chaumet shop near the Champs-Elysees was recovered by police and in the same month thieves struck a Dinh Van jewellery store in central Paris.
Place Vendôme has also been the target of previous robberies, according to police.
