Paris smash-and-grab thieves snatch luxury haul from Russian tourists
Three Russian tourists were robbed of thousands of dollars' worth of jewelry and luxury clothing shortly after landing at a Paris airport for private jets. The tourists were in a taxi leaving the Bourget airport north of Paris at around 10:30 pm (0830 GMT) on Monday when they were struck by a car carrying four people wearing ski masks, the sources said.
The thieves made off with three suitcases that the victims said contained items worth $500,000 to $1 million (430,000 to 864,000 euros). Nobody was
injured.
Hit-and-run as well as "snatching" robberies targeting taxis and other cars heading to and from Paris airports have become a common tactic in recent years
by thieves hoping to strike big-spending tourists.
On April 15, 2015, three thieves made off with a handbag containing four million euros worth of Chanel jewels in a smash-and-grab attack on a taxi carrying a Taiwanese art collector.
In February, 2017, a Russia couple were robbed of jewellery and luxury goods worth some 100,000 euros when their chauffeur-driven car was forced off the road by robbers near Le Bourget airport.
In March, 14 youths suspected of carrying out 88 such attacks over little more than a year were arrested by French police.
Chinese tourists staying in hotels near the capital's two main airports, Charles de Gaulle-Roissy and Orly, are often targeted in particular given
their reputation for carrying large amounts of cash.
The Bourget airport serves only corporate and private jets favoured by wealthy travellers.
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The tourists were in a taxi leaving the Bourget airport north of Paris at around 10:30 pm (0830 GMT) on Monday when they were struck by a car carrying four people wearing ski masks, the sources said.
The thieves made off with three suitcases that the victims said contained items worth $500,000 to $1 million (430,000 to 864,000 euros). Nobody was
injured.
Hit-and-run as well as "snatching" robberies targeting taxis and other cars heading to and from Paris airports have become a common tactic in recent years
by thieves hoping to strike big-spending tourists.
On April 15, 2015, three thieves made off with a handbag containing four million euros worth of Chanel jewels in a smash-and-grab attack on a taxi carrying a Taiwanese art collector.
In February, 2017, a Russia couple were robbed of jewellery and luxury goods worth some 100,000 euros when their chauffeur-driven car was forced off the road by robbers near Le Bourget airport.
In March, 14 youths suspected of carrying out 88 such attacks over little more than a year were arrested by French police.
Chinese tourists staying in hotels near the capital's two main airports, Charles de Gaulle-Roissy and Orly, are often targeted in particular given
their reputation for carrying large amounts of cash.
The Bourget airport serves only corporate and private jets favoured by wealthy travellers.
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