It was a heist that caught the imagination of France. They presented as the finest, richest and most cultured. Some were dressed as women, all draped in the most expensive jewelry, worth an estimated $85 million.
As they entered the Harry Winston Jewelry store on December 5, 2008 no-one would have suspected their real agenda was to hold up the high market jewelry store.
This was Christmas time and shoppers cruised the aisles of the fashionable store, in among the fashionable cafes, fashionable clothing that caters for only the most fashionable.
There the fashionably dressed robbers pulled out guns, looted the display cabinets and forced staff to hand over jewelry stored in the back rooms of the boutique.
It was a daring raid that netting diamonds worth $108 million.
Police mounted a thorough investigation with 25 people brought in for question and 9 of those arrested. Yet until yesterday only $1.1 million worth of jewelry had been uncovered.
After a tip off police raided the home of one of the suspects, and began digging up his sewer. There, in amongst the flow was a sparkling plastic bag holding 19 rings and 3 sets of earrings worth $25 million.
While the police discovery may have been fashionably late many would be relieved that the jewelry may now be resting on the fingers of rich as they travel the world, not floating the sewers of Paris.
