Armed Robbers Attack Chanel Outlet In Paris, Flee With Motorbikes And Are Chased By Police On Bicycles

Photo by Alexandra Mazilu on Unsplash

JAKARTA - A number of thieves, carrying at least one weapon, robbed a Chanel jewelry and watch shop in central Paris, Thursday, May 5 and fled on a motorbike.

The robbery took place at noon in the Place Vendome area of central Paris, the site of another high-profile heist in 2021.

Video footage circulating on Twitter - which Paris police say is real - shows a mugger with an automatic weapon outside a Chanel shop on the Rue de la Paix street.

Seconds later, three other robbers dressed in black and wearing helmets stormed out of the shop with bags, then the four robbers fled on two motorbikes.

"Everything happened very quickly and unfortunately the police officers were the first to arrive on bicycles," a witness who recorded the incident told Reuters. He declined to be named.

Meanwhile, Chanel said no one was hurt and that his party was cooperating with the police.

The Chanel store that was robbed did not reveal the value of the stolen goods.

Police said they had no information about the identity of the thief.

The privately owned Avenue de la Paix outlet of the French luxury fashion house is a makeshift shop selling watches and jewellery. The store was set up while the flagship Place Vendome store is being renovated before reopening in the coming weeks.

Jewelery shops in Paris have experienced a spate of armed robberies in recent months.

In September 2021, Paris police arrested three suspected armed robbers after opening fire on the robbers' cars as they fled an attempted theft of 10 million euros worth of jewelery at a Bulgari shop in the Place Vendome area of central Paris.

In July 2021, thieves stole nearly 2 million euros worth of jewelery from a Chaumet shop near the Champs-Elysees.

However, the stolen goods were later found and the suspect was arrested.