Raiders Flee with $12m Gems from Bulgari Store in Paris
September 12, 21
(IDEX Online) - Two suspects have been arrested and five remain at large after a $12m armed heist at Bulgari's flagship store in Paris.
One was shot in the leg by police as he fled the store, in the capital's prestigious Place Vendome (pictured) last Tuesday. Other raiders escaped in a grey BMW and on scooters.
Officers fired shots at the car, forcing three occupants to try to flee on foot after a high-speed chase.
The value of gems stolen was put at $12m by a source close to the police inquiry.
The French luxury conglomerate LVMH bought a majority shareholding in Bulgari, the Italian jewelry, watches, fragrances, accessories, and leather goods brand, for $5.2bn in 2011.
The Bulgari store at Place Vendome - which is also home to Chanel, Boucheron and Van Cleef & Arpels outlets - was recently fitted with marble columns, a nod to the brand's origins in Rome.