Jewellery worth millions stolen in French museum burglary

AFP | Strasbourg

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Burglars stole millions of euros' worth of jewellery from the museum of French luxury glassmaker Lalique in a daring early-morning raid on Sunday, just months after a stunning gem heist at the Louvre in Paris.

A gang of masked thieves broke in to the museum in Wingen-sur-Moder in northeastern France around 5:30 am (0330 GMT), forcing a door before heading for the jewellery room and smashing open six display cases, a source close to the investigation told AFP.

"Around twenty pieces of jewellery were stolen. The loss is currently being assessed but could amount to several million euros, likely close to four million," the source said.

Another source close to the investigation said the stolen jewellery was crystal, without precious gems, and could not be melted down.

The museum said on its website that it will be closed for several days because of the burglary.

"An alarm went off, but by the time the security company had completed its checks, it was a cleaning lady who arrived first on the scene and called the police," the first investigation source added.

The CCTV footage is currently being examined.

The museum, dedicated to the Art Nouveau and Art Deco jeweller and glassmaker Rene Lalique, was opened in 2011 near the company's factory.