Robber makes off with millions in Cannes jewellery heist

In what is thought to be the second-largest heist that France has seen, a single armed robber stole jewellery and top-end watches worth over €40 million from the luxury Carlton Hotel in Cannes on Sunday.

Wearing gloves and with his face hidden by a scarf, the man burst into the hotel in the late morning – when a jewellery exhibition was on – and demanded to be handed several bags full of jewels and diamond-encrusted watches.

There was no violence; everything happened very quickly, according to eyewitness reports.

The Carlton, located at the Croisette waterfront promenade on the famous watering hole of the French Riviera, has been housing a temporary exhibition of jewels from diamond specialist Leviev since 20 July.

Police investigators are studying video surveillance footage in an effort to track down the thief.

Local media said the robber made off with the jewels in a briefcase. It is not yet known who the owner was.

If the value of the jewels is confirmed, it would reportedly be the second-largest heist in France.

A Cannes police spokesman said: "A full and urgent operation is under way to catch the culprit and recover these jewels. Thieves see Cannes as rich pickings."

The Cannes film festival, which attracts celebrities from around the world, was hit by two jewellery thefts in May this year.

A necklace by Swiss jeweller De Grisogono reportedly worth €1.9 million vanished after a celebrity party at a five-star hotel in the resort town of Cap d'Antibes.

A week before, more than €777,000 worth of jewels were taken from the hotel room of an employee of exclusive Swiss jewellers Chopard.

The Carlton Hotel itself saw also a huge robbery in August 1994, when gunmen burst into its jewellery store just as it was closing and made off with jewels then valued at €58 million.