By
LILLE, France: Thieves in northern France have made off with jewellery worth up to USD1.2 million, police said on Saturday.
The burglars reportedly broke into a jewellery boutique in central Roubaix, near Lille, on Wednesday, and briefly took the jeweller and his wife hostage before making off with the valuables.
The jewels were worth “between 500,000 and one million euros” (USD 580,000 and USD1.2 million), police said.
They have launched an investigation into kidnapping, organised crime and armed extorsion.