- Thieves smashed a display case at the MAK museum in Vienna and stole a 600-diamond necklace in broad daylight.
- Police launched a search that grew beyond borders, deploying dog units in Vienna and Lower Austria and analyzing CCTV footage.
- MAK general director Lilli Hollein said the theft 'has hit us hard', but stressed that security measures were carefully prepared and staff reacted calmly, with no one injured.
- The necklace is made of platinum and 673 precious stones said to weigh over 200 carats, and Van Cleef and Arpels describes it on its website as a "triumph of white jewelry."
- Police added that the robbers did not wear masks and could be clearly seen on surveillance cameras.
- A police spokeswoman told the German DPA news agency that one of the robbers was carrying what is believed to be a real firearm.
- She said visitors and security staff were in the room when the display case was smashed, and it was understandable that security staff did not stand in the way of the armed perpetrator.
Thieves stole a 200-carat diamond necklace worth over $4 million from Vienna's Museum of Applied Arts (MAK) on Thursday, marking the latest in a series of high-profile European museum heists. The robbers, who purchased tickets, smashed a glass display case and fled with the jewelry, part of a Van Cleef & Arpels exhibition.
The necklace, designed for the former Egyptian royal family and worn by Queen Nazli in 1939, features over 600 diamonds and is described by Van Cleef & Arpels as a "triumph of white jewelry". Police reported that one of the suspects was armed with what appeared to be a real firearm, creating a tense situation as visitors and security staff were present during the theft.
Lilli Hollein, MAK's general director, expressed the museum's distress, stating, "the theft of a highly valuable piece of jewellery... has hit us hard". Despite the incident, she noted that staff followed established security protocols, and no injuries were reported.
Authorities have deployed police dog units and forensic experts to analyze evidence and CCTV footage, while the search for the suspects extends beyond Austria's borders. The necklace, valued between $3.6 million and $4.6 million at auction a decade ago, was part of an exhibition scheduled to run until September.
“The necklace, made of platinum and 673 precious stones weighing over 200 carats, was valued at $3.6m-$4.6m when auctioned a decade ago. Police say the robbers wore no masks and one carried a real firearm, with visitors and staff present during the smash-and-grab.”
DW.com
BBC
