Cannes Jewel Heist Might Be the Second-Largest Ever in France

A good, old-fashioned jewel heist has been successfully carried off in the South of France. According to several media outlets, an armed man stole about $53 million in jewels from the Carlton Hotel in Cannes, the very spot where, the BBC notes wryly, Albert Hitchcock filmed To Catch a Thief.

This latest theft is the largest-yet in a series of recent high-profile robberies in Cannes, where celebs dropping in for the annual film festival apparently litter the beach with their jewels. Local media outlets around Cannes report that the man made off with the jewels in a briefcase, all sly and cinematic-like, and that, if the amount is confirmed, this theft would become the second-largest such heist in the history of France. A spokesman for the Cannes police said, “A full and urgent operation is underway to catch the culprit and recover these jewels. Thieves see Cannes as rich pickings.”

An exhibition of diamonds by the jeweler Leviev was being held in the Carlton’s lobby, providing the thief with an excellent opportunity to gather as many precious gemstones and ores as possible before making a clean getaway. Don’t worry, though — France has its best inspector on the case:

[BBC]