Four suspected thieves arrested in Venice jewel heist
Croatian police have arrested four suspects in the brazen theft of precious Indian jewels this January from the famed Al Thani Collection that were on display in a Venetian palace. The men, all Croatians ranging in age from 43 to 60, were arrested on Wednesday after a months-long joint investigation with the Italian police, Croatian police said in a statement on Thursday. Here's more.
One suspect believed to be part of 'Pink Panther' gang
One of the arrestees is believed to be linked to several major heists in Europe and the notorious 'Pink Panther' gang of thieves. He's also sought by Switzerland for a 2011 jewelry heist. Police said a fifth member, a 54-year-old Serbian, sought on a European warrant, was arrested on Thursday on Serbia's border-crossing. It wasn't clear though if he's linked to the Venice heist.
Stolen jewels weren't top highlights of the Al Thani Collection
The thieves had made off with a brooch and a pair of earrings worth an estimated $3 million by mixing with the crowd on the final day of the exhibition at Venice's Doge's Palace, one of the city's top tourist destinations. The stolen jewels weren't the top highlights of the Al Thani Collection, which includes gems dating back to the Mughal Empire.
There's no comparable collection on the planet: Forbes magazine
The collection also includes 270 pieces of Indian and Indian-inspired jewelry and stones, spanning 400 years from the Mughal period to the present. The collection was assembled by Qatar's Sheikh Hamad bin Abdullah Al Thani. "There's no comparable collection on the planet," says Forbes magazine.
Croatian force didn't reveal whether the jewels had been recovered
Before Venice, the 'Treasures of the Mughals and the Maharajas' had also been displayed at Paris's Grand Palais, London's Victoria and Albert Museum, New York's Metropolitan Museum, and at the Miho Museum near Kyoto, Japan. Coming back to the heist, the Croatian force didn't reveal whether the jewels had been recovered. Meanwhile, the Italian police also didn't make any comment on the robbery.
