Two held after Paris jeweller e-scooter robbery

Paris - French police arrested two suspects on Wednesday after a robbery at famed Parisian jeweller Chaumet where a thief made off with up to three million euros worth of jewellery after arriving and making a getaway on an electronic scooter.

The two suspects were arrested at a motorway rest area in the east of France and a “substantial quantity” of the stolen goods was found in their possession, a police source told AFP, asking not to be named.

The robber stole between two million and three million euros (2.4-3.6 million dollars) worth of jewellery and precious stones after bursting into the shop near the Champs-Elysees avenue early Tuesday evening, the source said.

Armed but without using his revolver, he helped himself to precious jewels and stones before making his getaway on the scooter from the store on Rue Francois 1, the source said.

Prosecutors said that the two suspects were born in 1967 and 1977, without giving further details. A criminal investigation has been opened.

Chaumet, now part of the world’s leading luxury goods maker LVMH, is best known for its store on Place Vendome, which was robbed in 2009 with 1.9 million euros worth of gems stolen.

Electronic scooters have become ubiquitous in Paris in recent years, loved by users for helping them zip through the city but reviled by critics who see them as dangerous and often poorly-driven vehicles.(AFP)