In the second major jewel heist to hit Cannes this year, a lone gunman reportedly stole more than $100 million in Leviev gems from an exhibit in the Carlton Hotel on July 28.
According to CNN, the BBC, and other reports, the thief, whose face was covered by a hat and a scarf, threatened to shoot the exhibitors and guests, before making off on foot in broad daylight with the jewels in a suitcase.
Security guards were present but unarmed, the reports added.
The gems were scheduled to be on display through the end of August.
While initial estimates pegged the value of the jewels stolen as $53 million, subsequent reports have put it in excess of $100 million—some as high as $136 million.
A terse statement from Leviev released on Sunday said the company “was informed of a theft this morning by an armed robber from its exhibit in the Carlton Hotel in Cannes, France.… Company officials are cooperating with local authorities investigating the loss and are relieved that no one was injured in the robbery.”
Ironically, the Carlton Hotel is also where Alfred Hitchcock filmed To Catch a Thief, 1955 film about a jewel thief operating in the French Riviera.
Earlier this year, $1 million in Chopard jewels was stolen during the Cannes Film Festival.
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