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Police in northern France say thieves have escaped with jewellery valued at up to $1.2 million after a dramatic raid on a boutique in Roubaix.
The robbery took place on Wednesday in the city centre, near Lille, where intruders reportedly forced their way into the shop and briefly held the jeweller and his wife hostage before fleeing with a haul estimated at between €500,000 and €1 million.
Investigators have now opened a case into kidnapping, organised crime and armed extortion as they work to establish the identities of those involved.
Earlier that same day, another group blew open a secure cash container belonging to the main post office in Roubaix. They managed to run off with a bag inside the safe, only to discover later, as did the police, that it contained nothing but other empty bags.
Six suspects were arrested on Wednesday evening in connection with the attempted theft.
The incidents follow a high-profile heist in Paris last month, when a gang carried out a bold daytime raid at the Louvre museum, escaping with jewellery believed to be worth around $102 million.
