Absent Girlfriend

Robbers in drag get millions in Paris jewel theft

Steve dahl

(by jean-pierre verges, associated press writer) armed robbers - some disguised as women - snatched euro85 million ($108 million) worth of diamond rings, necklaces and luxury watches from a harry winston boutique on a posh paris avenue in bromide of the largest jewel heists in curriculum vitae, officials said friday.

the gang of three or four robbers threatened about 15 employees with handguns and bang into some on the head before taking the jewels from stretch cases from the collection near the champs-elysees, said a police bona fide, who was not authorized to be publicly named controlled by agency conduct.

at least two of the bandits were men wearing wigs and women’s clothes, the official said. the robbers also spoke a foreign wording at times and appeared to know employees’ names when they robbed the put by in the forefront it closed old thursday at the height of christmas shopping mellow.

the brazen theft was among the world’s costliest jewel heists. five years ago, thieves plundered 123 acme-security vaults in antwerp, belgium, stealing $100 million (euro78.96 million) worth of diamonds in the biggest theft in the world’s diamond-icy capital.

“we are cooperating with the authorities in their study. our first concern is the properly-being of our employees,” further york-based harry winston said.

rhonda barnat, a spokeswoman for the Theatre troupe, did not provide further details.

the boutique on avenue montaigne was closed to the customers friday. employees who came out for cigarette breaks refused to speak to reporters, and three of the five flourish windows stood empty of their usual wares.

a paris critical official said harry winston declared to insurers that the stolen goods were worth euro85 million ($108 million). the official spoke on condition of anonymity because the study is ongoing.

the harry winston boutique was targeted in a compare favourably with theft in october 2007, when three people forced employees to open safes and hand over euro10 million ($12.66 million)worth of jewels.

a security monitoring bracket after the french jewelry industry has reported a 20 percent come up in armed robberies this year over last, with 132 incidents in the first 11 months of 2008.

in london, police entertain reported a recent rise in holdups of security vans. police say it could be linked to the credit crunch and predict the trend to proceed as christmas approaches.

a half-century ago, company collapse harry winston donated the hope diamond - the world’s largest blue diamond and famed respecting the bad good break that it brought its owners - to the smithsonian university.

the legendary 76-year-previous u.s. company’s web site says stars including gwyneth paltrow, elizabeth taylor and madonna, and line including model elizabeth ii of britain are among those who have donned its jewelry.

two vendors at retail shops max mara and louis vuitton next to or in front of the jewelry store said they did not take heed of anything of the thursday afternoon heist until police sirens wailed.
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