Thieves steal 600-diamond necklace from Vienna museum in broad daylight

What the report says

Vienna police are searching for two men after a necklace with more than 600 diamonds was stolen from the Museum of Applied Arts (MAK) on Thursday afternoon, according to BBC World News. Officers believe the suspects bought tickets to enter the jewellery exhibition before smashing a glass display case and taking the platinum necklace, which was designed for Egypt’s former royal family and is believed to be worth more than $4 million.

The BBC reported that the suspects were captured on CCTV and were not masked. Police have released images and asked the public for help identifying them. One of the men is also thought to have carried what appeared to be a real firearm. After the theft, the pair fled in the direction of Vienna’s Stadtpark, south of the museum, and police dogs and forensic teams have been deployed as the search continues.

MAK director Lilli Hollein said the loss had hit the museum hard, while stressing that staff followed security procedures and no one was injured. The exhibition, which focused on Van Cleef & Arpels and was due to run until September, reopened later on Friday without the stolen item. The theft adds to a string of high-profile museum robberies in Europe, which has prompted wider concern about the security of cultural institutions.