Two thieves smashed a museum display case and stole a 673-diamond necklace once worn by Egypt’s Queen Nazli.
Two men have stolen a historic diamond necklace from Vienna’s Museum of Applied Arts (MAK) after smashing its display case with a hammer during opening hours.
The brazen theft took place on Thursday afternoon while visitors were inside the museum. The suspects reportedly entered the exhibition normally, purchased tickets and then targeted the necklace before fleeing.
No one was injured during the incident.
The stolen piece is a platinum necklace decorated with 673 diamonds weighing approximately 217 carats in total.
The necklace was created by French luxury jeweller Van Cleef & Arpels in 1939 and has a connection to the Egyptian royal family. It was worn by Queen Nazli of Egypt during the wedding of her daughter, Princess Fawzia, to Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the future Shah of Iran.
The necklace was sold by Sotheby’s in New York in 2015 for $4.3 million. It was being displayed as part of a Van Cleef & Arpels exhibition at the MAK, which featured more than 300 pieces of jewellery.
Vienna police released images of the two suspects, who were captured by security cameras during the robbery.
The men were not wearing masks, allowing investigators to obtain relatively clear images of their faces.
Police launched a large search operation following the theft, including the use of tracking dogs. Investigators are also examining surveillance footage from nearby businesses and public transport locations in an effort to determine where the suspects went after leaving the museum.
Authorities have appealed to members of the public who may have seen the men or noticed anything suspicious around the museum at the time of the robbery.
The MAK temporarily closed the exhibition following the theft and cancelled a scheduled guided tour.
Museum director Lilli Hollein said extensive security measures had been put in place for the exhibition and that staff followed established procedures when the robbery occurred. The museum has since taken steps to review security arrangements.
The Vienna theft comes amid a series of high-profile robberies targeting museums and cultural institutions across Europe.
In recent months, valuable paintings, jewellery and historic artefacts have been targeted in France, Italy and Spain. Europol has warned that museum robberies are becoming increasingly aggressive, with criminals using increasingly forceful methods to reach valuable objects.
The Vienna investigation remains ongoing, and police are continuing their search for the two suspects and the stolen necklace.
Source: CNN
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