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Masked thieves take 20 crystal pieces from Lalique museum; items contain no gems and cannot be melted
Masked burglars forced entry into the Lalique museum in Wingen-sur-Moder, northeastern France, around 5:30 a.m. on July 5 and smashed six display cases. Le Monde reported the theft of about 20 crystal pieces valued near €4 million, with no precious gems involved.
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Masked thieves stole around 20 pieces of crystal jewelry valued at close to €4 million from the Lalique museum in Wingen-sur-Moder early on July 5, Le Monde reported. , entered the jewelry room, and smashed open six display cases before fleeing. The stolen items contained no precious gems and cannot be melted down, according to a source close to the investigation cited by Le Monde.
An alarm sounded during the raid, yet a cleaning lady was the first to reach the scene and notify police after the security company completed its checks without immediate intervention. The museum, which opened in 2011 near the company's factory about 60 kilometers northwest of Strasbourg, will remain closed for several days.
It houses more than 650 works of Art Nouveau jewelry, Art Deco glass, and contemporary crystal.
Investigators are reviewing CCTV footage from the break-in. The mayor of Wingen-sur-Moder, Christian Dorschner, told local newspaper Les Dernières Nouvelles d'Alsace that the security company failed to act promptly or alert gendarmes. He described the thieves as likely specialists who were well-informed about the site's layout.
