Share

Saudi prince robbed of €250 000 in carjacking

Paris - Kalashnikov-wielding robbers have attacked the motorcade of a Saudi prince in Paris, making off with €250 000 in cash and reportedly stealing "sensitive" documents, French police said on Monday.

The spectacular robbery took place in northern Paris late on Sunday as the motorcade was making its way from a plush hotel on the Champs Elysees to an airport in Le Bourget, said police, who confirmed there were no injuries.

A gang of "between five and eight" thieves in two BMWs hijacked the first of around 10 vehicles in the convoy, driving off with the three occupants before letting them go, police said.

The Saudis' Mercedes and one of the thieves' BMWs were later found abandoned and burned out in the village of Saint-Mesmes, to the northeast of Paris, approximately 40km from the scene of the crime.

Police found two €500 notes, documents in Arabic and medication near the burnt-out wrecks of the two cars.

According to the local daily Le Parisien, the robbers made off with "sensitive" diplomatic documents.

A source close to the investigation confirmed the theft of diplomatic documents but told AFP: "For the moment, we have no details about the nature of these documents. They could be sensitive documents but they could equally well be unimportant."

The Saudi embassy in Paris could not be immediately reached for comment.

"It's quite an unusual attack. They were obviously well-informed. It's true that it's quite a rare way of operating", one police source told AFP.

Determined criminals

No suspects have yet been apprehended.

The head of a national police union, Nicolas Comte, said: "We need to find out what they were looking for, the money or the documents."

"I hope we will also have efficient cooperation with the Saudi authorities", he added.

The investigation has been turned over to the BRB special police unit in charge of armed robberies.

One source close to the investigation, who did not wish to be named, said: "If they were looking for sensitive documents that changes the nature of the crime."

"It will no longer be an armed robbery, but something more complicated”, the source added.

Initial results of the investigation have revealed that the robbers were obviously "aware of what they would find by attacking that specific car and not the others", he added.

Frederic Lagache, from the Alliance police union, said: "We're dealing with a heavily armed and determined group of criminals."

"Once again, unfortunately, we see that these individuals had no fear of the police and were not concerned about the consequences of their actions."

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Do you think corruption-accused National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula will survive a motion of no confidence against her?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
No, her days are numbered
41% - 539 votes
Yes, the ANC caucus will protect her
59% - 771 votes
Vote
Rand - Dollar
18.89
+0.3%
Rand - Pound
23.82
+0.4%
Rand - Euro
20.37
+0.3%
Rand - Aus dollar
12.30
+0.3%
Rand - Yen
0.12
+0.3%
Platinum
908.05
0.0%
Palladium
1,014.94
0.0%
Gold
2,232.75
-0.0%
Silver
24.95
-0.1%
Brent Crude
87.00
+1.8%
Top 40
68,346
0.0%
All Share
74,536
0.0%
Resource 10
57,251
0.0%
Industrial 25
103,936
0.0%
Financial 15
16,502
0.0%
All JSE data delayed by at least 15 minutes Iress logo
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE