Escape with Diamonds
Art Theft at Vienna’s MAK: Damage Apparently in the Millions
A spectacular heist triggered a major police operation in downtown Vienna on Thursday afternoon. Two unidentified men stole an exhibit from the Museum of Applied Arts (MAK). According to the “Krone,” the stolen item is believed to be a unique diamond necklace by the renowned artist Van Cleef, which is estimated to be worth millions.
Kronen Zeitung als bevorzugte Google-Quelle hinzufügen Disguised as visitors, the two unidentified men entered the MAK Museum on the Ring. Their interest was focused on the current exhibition by the Parisian luxury brand “Van Cleef & Arpels.” It features exorbitantly expensive jewelry—masterpieces crafted from diamonds, rubies, and emeralds.
Suddenly, the two visitors turned out to be cold-blooded robbers. They smashed a glass display case, grabbed a specific necklace, and fled with their loot. The stolen goods are believed to be worth millions. The perpetrators are said to have been armed.
Suspected Link to a Balkan Gang
“No one was injured in the incident. Extensive immediate search operations have so far been unsuccessful,” explains police spokeswoman Anna Gutt. The Vienna State Criminal Police Office is investigating at full speed. According to reports, this is likely a targeted heist commissioned by a group based in the Balkans.
Anyone with relevant information (including anonymous tips) is asked to contact the Vienna State Criminal Police Office at 01-31310-38200.
Forensic analysis and the review of video footage were still ongoing that evening. The perpetrators are on the run with the diamonds.
Exhibition Showcases Around 500 Valuable Pieces of Jewelry
The exhibition at the MUK is titled “Masterpieces” and brings together “unique, rarely exhibited objects from the MAK collection with jewelry art spanning the 120-year history of the traditional company (Van Cleef & Arpels, note) of haute joaillerie, which was founded in 1906 on Paris’s Place Vendôme,” according to the museum’s website. According to the website, around 500 pieces are on display, more than 300 from Van Cleef & Arpels and over 200 from the MAK’s collection.
Recalling the Saliera Theft
In any case, the recent robbery brings back memories of the Saliera theft. It is considered the most spectacular art heist in Austrian criminal history. On May 11, 2003, the world-famous golden salt cellar by Benvenuto Cellini, valued at an estimated 50 million euros, was stolen from the Kunsthistorisches Museum. The thief climbed over scaffolding at night and later turned himself in. He served a prison sentence of two years and nine months. The Saliera was given special security measures after the theft.
This article has been automatically translated,
read the original article here.
Liebe Leserin, lieber Leser,
die Kommentarfunktion steht Ihnen ab 6 Uhr wieder wie gewohnt zur Verfügung.
Mit freundlichen Grüßen
das krone.at-Team
User-Beiträge geben nicht notwendigerweise die Meinung des Betreibers/der Redaktion bzw. von Krone Multimedia (KMM) wieder. In diesem Sinne distanziert sich die Redaktion/der Betreiber von den Inhalten in diesem Diskussionsforum. KMM behält sich insbesondere vor, gegen geltendes Recht verstoßende, den guten Sitten oder der Netiquette widersprechende bzw. dem Ansehen von KMM zuwiderlaufende Beiträge zu löschen, diesbezüglichen Schadenersatz gegenüber dem betreffenden User geltend zu machen, die Nutzer-Daten zu Zwecken der Rechtsverfolgung zu verwenden und strafrechtlich relevante Beiträge zur Anzeige zu bringen (siehe auch AGB). Hier können Sie das Community-Team via unserer Melde- und Abhilfestelle kontaktieren.