Burglars steal $15m from Saudi princess - reports

JEWELS HEIST: Saudi princess reportedly robbed of $15 million worth of jewels and cash in Italy. (Getty Images)

Burglars made off with jewels and cash worth 11 million euros (15.6 million dollars) from the hotel room of a Saudi princess in Sardinia, sparking a diplomatic incident, Italian newspapers reported on Sunday.

"The thieves used a master key. In 10 minutes at dinner time, without making any noise, they managed to remove the safe from a suite occupied by the Saudi princess," who was not named, the daily La Stampa reported.

The safe was only fixed with silicon to the wall into which it was embedded, it said.

According to the daily La Repubblica, the burglary sparked a diplomatic incident.

"A military official from the Saudi embassy arrived in Sardinia and the Italian secret services and diplomats from both countries have been involved."

A Moroccan businessman also had his room burgled in another luxury hotel on the Costa Smeralda, the most chic resort area on the island, where Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi also owns a luxury villa.

Using a similar technique, thieves pulled the safe out of the wall and got away with around 150,000 euros worth of jewels and money.

Both burglaries were carried out this week. The two hotels belong to the same chain, Iti Hotels.

Investigators suspect they were the work of an expert gang, probably from abroad, helped by someone with inside knowledge, who had worked in both establishments.

A third burglary was carried out in a hotel in Portofino, on Italy's northwest coast, where a German businessman had the safe stolen from his room, containing a million euros worth of jewellery and 3,000 in cash, according to Il Corriere della Sera.

Print | Email | Discuss this article

| Share |

READERS' COMMENTS

How careless!
Posted by My2Cents, Dubai, United Arab Emirates on Thursday 13 August 2009 at 10:16 UAE time


Why would anyone travel with that amount of jewelry/cash and simply leave it in a hotel safe. No excuse for this carelessness. I bet if the "princess" had worked for that jewelry/cash she would have been more careful.

CCTV
Posted by Christiane on Monday 10 August 2009 at 22:29 UAE time


...what about cameras? Respect to Dubai Police: cameras are required in elevators and fire escape staircases inside hotels...

Thift of the Saudi Prince
Posted by Black Yamama, Serdinia, Itali on Monday 10 August 2009 at 18:55 UAE time

Easy Come...Easy Go

$15m Stolen/Security
Posted by James, Dubai, UAE on Monday 10 August 2009 at 13:37 UAE time


Incidents like this happen every year to the royal families and businesmen. The risk of these thefts can be reduced by consultation with security consultants but in order to reduce costs, these consultants aren't used. Now who is going to pick up these costs - probably the insurance company or the hotel.

View all comments (8) >>

Click here to post a comment

Add your Comment All posts are sent to the administrator for review and are published only after approval. ArabianBusiness.com reserves the right to remove any comment at any time for any reason. Please keep your responses appropriate and on topic. Arabian Business would like to point out that only comments relevant to the story will be published. Any containing personal insults or inappropriate language will not be approved.
Name *
Remember me on this computer
Email *	(Your email address will not be published)
City
Country
Subject *
Comment *
Notify me of further comments
Enter the words above *
Please click post only once - your comment will not be published immediately.

MORE FROM ARABIANBUSINESS.COM