Hotel Security, Police Intercept Burglary of Ritz Hotel in Paris

An organized burglary of Paris' Ritz Hotel was disrupted by hotel security measures and the police on Wednesday night.

• By Sydny Shepard
• Jan 12, 2018

At attempt to steal millions of euros worth of gems and jewelry from the Ritz Hotel in Paris was disrupted on Wednesday night by hotel security and police.

The robbery, which was audacious in nature given the five-star hotel's close proximity to France's Ministry of Justice, began when a gang of thieves with axes burst into the hotel's lobby through the back entrance and went straight for the jewelry cases on the ground floor.

The robbers were able to steal at least $4.8 million euros worth of jewels inside the hotel, but hotel security triggered an alarm that trapped three of the five men inside the shop.

Police entered the hotel from the back and fired at the trapped suspects with "Taser-type guns" before arresting them. The three suspects were in their twenties, according to police.

The remaining two remaining men escaped with the jewels, French police said. Authorities could not confirm if they got away with everything that they attempted to steal. Police said at least one man appeared to be waiting for them at an exit and that he and another suspect escaped on a scooter via rue Cambon. The scooter hit a passerby, who was not hospitalized.

Interior Minister Gerard Collomb praised the police response. "Armed robbery at the Ritz: Three suspects already arrested by officers from the 2nd arrondissement. Their calm, their professionalism and their swift response is a credit to the Police," he posted on Twitter.

Vol à main armée au Ritz : 3 des auteurs présumés ont d'ores et déjà été interpellés par les policiers du 2e arrondissement.
Leur sang froid, leur professionnalisme & leur réactivité font honneur à notre Police. Ils ont toute ma reconnaissance.#FiersDeNosPoliciers

— Gérard Collomb (@gerardcollomb) January 10, 2018

The Ritz Hotel is situated in the Place Vendome in Paris, the site of several popular city landmarks, including the Louvre an dthe Jardin des Tuileries. The hotel has an on-site shopping gallery of five-high end boutiques near the back entrance, right next to the Bar Hemingway. The gallery also features 95 showcases, located from the front lobby all the way back to the gallery, displaying luxury goods.

This is the second major jewel heist in a major European city in a week. Last week, thieves made a daytime heist of valuable gems and jewelry from the Qatari royal collection at an exhibition in Venice, Italy.