Image source, LPD Wien
Vienna constabulary released CCTV images of the suspects
ByBethany Bell
Vienna correspondent
An planetary manhunt is nether mode for 2 men who stole a necklace decorated with much than 600 diamonds from a depository successful Vienna aft buying a summons for the accumulation successful which it was being displayed.
Police said the 2 suspects smashed a solid show lawsuit astatine the Vienna Museum of Applied Arts (MAK) connected Thursday day and grabbed the platinum and diamond necklace, which is believed to beryllium worthy much than $4m (£3m; €3.5m).
The necklace, which was designed for the erstwhile Egyptian royal family, was portion of an accumulation connected the jewellers Van Cleef & Arpels, owed to tally astatine MAK until September.
The theft is the latest successful a bid of spectacular heists of artefacts astatine European museums.
Vienna constabulary released photos of the 2 suspects, who were unmasked, captured connected information cameras. They are appealing for the nationalist to travel guardant with information.
The constabulary said successful a connection that 1 of the perpetrators was besides believed to person been carrying what was thought to beryllium a existent firearm.
After seizing the necklace, they fled "towards the Vienna Stadtpark" conscionable southbound of the museum, they said.
Image source, Austrian Interior Ministry
The much than 200-carat necklace was worn by Queen Nazli successful 1939 for the matrimony of her girl to the aboriginal Shah of Iran
Lilli Hollein, MAK wide director, said "the theft of a highly invaluable portion of jewellery... has deed america hard".
She said successful a connection that MAK had developed a information program with Van Cleef & Arpels specifically for the exhibition, adding: "Security issues were taken precise earnestly and each information measures were cautiously prepared."
Hollein said unit had reacted calmly and followed the established procedures erstwhile the "armed incident" occurred, and that nary 1 had been injured.
She added that MAK had thoroughly reviewed its information measures up of the exhibition, "particularly successful airy of the incidents astatine large museums successful caller years".
Also connected Thursday was 1 of the astir important troves of prehistoric jewellery and artefacts was stolen from a Spanish museum.
Four Renaissance paintings were stolen from a depository successful Sicily earlier this month, portion 3 paintings by Renoir, Cézanne and Matisse worthy millions of euros were taken from a depository successful Parma earlier successful the year.
These heists came aft the brazen daylight raid connected the Louvre successful Paris, successful which a masked pack stole priceless jewels past October.
Image source, Getty Images
The exhibition, minus the stolen necklace, reopened aboriginal connected Friday
The drawstring of thefts person raised questions astir the information of European taste institutions.
Europol said depository thefts were "becoming progressively aggressive, with a displacement towards convulsive and forceful methods", adding this "may bespeak the engagement of caller transgression networks".
The necklace stolen successful Vienna connected Friday was designed for the erstwhile Egyptian royal household and was worn by Queen Nazli successful 1939 for the matrimony of her girl Fawzia to the aboriginal Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.
Van Cleef & Arpels describes it arsenic a "triumph of achromatic jewellery". The diamonds connected the necklace measurement successful excess of 200 carats.
When it was auctioned a decennary ago, it had an estimated worthy of $3.6m-$4.6m.
Police canine units person been deployed successful Vienna and the state of Lower Austria, portion forensic experts are analysing grounds and CCTV footage.
The accumulation has present been reopened.
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