Jewellery worth €40m stolen from Cannes hotel

A staggering €40m worth of diamonds and other jewels were stolen yesterday from the Carlton Intercontinental Hotel in Cannes, in one of Europe’s biggest jewellery heists recent years.

The hotel in the sweltering French Riviera was hosting a temporary jewellery exhibit over the summer from the prestigious Leviev diamond house, which is owned by Israeli billionaire Lev Leviev.

A police spokesman said the theft took place around noon, but he could not confirm reports that the robber was a single gunman who stuffed a suitcase with the gems before exiting.

Several police officers were placed in front of the Carlton exhibition room to prevent journalists and photographers gathered at the scene from entering.

The luxury Carlton hotel is situated on the exclusive Promenade de la Croisette that stretches 2km along the French Riviera, and is thronged by the rich and famous throughout the year.

On Thursday, a member of the notorious “Pink Panther” jewel thief gang escaped from a Swiss prison after accomplices rammed a gate and overpowered guards with bursts from their AK-47s, police said.

Milan Poparic and Adrian Albrecht fled the Orbe prison in Vaud.