Cannes Jewel Theft: $53 Million Stolen From Carlton Hotel
More than $53 million worth of jewels was stolen from a hotel in Cannes, France this weekend.
According to USA Today, the Carlton Intercontinental Hotel was hosting a jewelry exhibit. The precious stones were owned by the Leviv Diamond House which is owned by Israeli billionaire Lev Leviv.
The BBC reports that the jewels were stolen by a single armed gunman. The thief reportedly robbed the hotel in broad daylight, stuffed a suitcase with diamonds, and then fled the scene.
Police do not currently have a suspect but they are conducting an “urgent” investigation.
A Cannes police spokesman said: “A full an urgent operation is under way to catch the culprit and recover these jewels. Thieves see Cannes as rich pickings.”
This may be one of the biggest jewel thefts in the history of the Carlton Hotel but it isn’t the most famous. Alfred Hitchcock’s movie To Catch A Thief, which centers on a jewel thief working in the French Riviera, was filmed at the hotel.
The Huffington Post notes that there have been several high-profile jewel thefts in the Cannes area this year. The annual film festival was marred by two big robberies. The first involved a hotel safe and more than $1 million in jewelry. The second involved a $2.5 million necklace.
[Image Via Wiki]
