Gun-wielding bandits in hostage drama after robbing Paris' Cartier store

[SoleSurvivor]

Gun-wielding bandits in hostage drama after robbing Paris' Cartier store

PUBLISHED : Thursday, 27 November, 2014, 3:52am
UPDATED : Thursday, 27 November, 2014, 3:52am

Agence France-Presse in Paris

Police officers stand in front of a Cartier jewelery store on the Champs-Elysees avenue in Paris, where a robbery took place. Photo: AFP

Two men with an AK-47 assault rifle robbed a Cartier jewellery store near Paris's Champs-Elysees, leading to a police chase and a brief hostage-taking when they sought refuge in a hair salon.

The suspects agreed to release the hostage and turn themselves in, with the entire drama lasting about two hours. Police recovered a cache of jewels the men had stolen.

One witness inside the Cartier store located in a busy tourist area said the two men, who did not seem "professional", burst in late in the day and forced the three customers and about 10 staff to lie down. They then demanded that the store's showcases be opened, but were interrupted by the sound of police sirens as they gathered jewellery.

One of the two alleged robbers in police custody. Photo: AFP

The suspects fled with the store manager. A witness said he saw one of them dressed in a trench coat and a beret, with a towel on one hand and holding the hostage with the other.

"Everyone tried to hide," said the witness, who gave his name as Vincent and had been at a nearby restaurant's terrace.

The two men dropped their hostage and fled aboard a scooter while shooting into the air, but later fell and ran away on foot before entering the hair salon.

The salon manager was the only person inside and was taken hostage. About 100 police were mobilised with the support of a helicopter.

"A negotiator was able to quickly enter into contact with them," Paris prosecutor Francois Molins said. "They agreed somewhat quickly to free the hostage safe and sound, and they turned themselves in."

Besides the AK-47, the bandits also had a 9mm pistol. Their stolen jewellery was recovered inside the hair salon.

"There was lots of money and jewellery that had been well-chosen," the prosecutor said.

A police officer was lightly wounded by a bullet fragment, while one of the suspects was injured in the scooter fall.

In recent years France has seen several high-profile robberies of luxury jewellery stores.

 

[quelone]

Any ah tiongs there during the robbery? Robbing the ah tiongs might get more gain than robbing the shop.