Masked burglars take €4m worth of jewellery in latest lightning raid on French museum

Masked burglars take €4m worth of jewellery in latest lightning raid on French museum The heist at Musee Lalique comes less than a year after a similar incident at the Louvre in Paris - Bookmark - CommentsGo to comments Masked burglars have carried out a lightning raid on a French museum dedicated to luxury glassmaker Rene Lalique and his family, stealing around 20 pieces of jewellery worth several million euros. The heist at Musee Lalique in eastern Alsace on Sunday morning comes less than a year after a similar incident at the Louvre in Paris. The museum confirmed on Instagram the jewellery was taken "in a very short space of time." Security systems were triggered, staff identified missing items, and police are studying CCTV footage for their search. No further details on the specific items stolen have been released. A statment read: “In the early hours of 5 July, the Lalique Museum was the target of a break-in, during which jewellery was stolen in a very short space of time, triggering the various security systems in place. “The gendarmerie attended the scene and were able to analyse the museum's CCTV footage. All the missing items have been identified by the museum team and their descriptions passed on to the relevant authorities to assist with the search. The investigation is ongoing. “The museum will remain closed over the coming days in order to prepare for a smooth and safe reopening for its staff and visitors.The Lalique Museum team would like to thank everyone involved for their professionalism.” The museum in the town of Wingen-sur-Moder, 60 km (40 miles) northwest of Strasbourg, houses more than 650 pieces, according to its website, including Art Nouveau jewellery, Art Deco glass and crystal. Rene Lalique, who died aged 85 in 1945, began his career as a jeweller and was known for using "glass, enamel, horn, ivory and semi-precious stones in his creations," the website added. "The museum will be closed for the forthcoming days in order to make sure it can then be re-opened with full security," it added. Thieves broke into Paris' world-famous Louvre museum last October. A gang were caught on camera making a slow escape from the world famous museum. The group scaled the iconic Parisian museum using an extendable ladder on a lorry and broke the windows using small chainsaws in a daring seven-minute heist at 9.30am. Several suspects have been arrested but the priceless exhibits have not been recovered. Join our commenting forum Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies Comments