French police arrest two suspects of brazen Bulgari heist

French police have detained two men suspected of taking part in the daylight robbery of the Bulgari jewellery boutique in Paris last year, when thieves made off with some 10 million euros ($10.6 million) in loot, a legal source said Wednesday.

The two men, aged 26 and 37, are from the gritty Seine-Saint-Denis suburb north of the capital and were being questioned by organised crime investigators, the source said.

Thieves entered the Bulgari store on the swanky Place Vendome in the heart of Paris shortly after midday on September 7 last year, and fled just as officers were responding.

According to the Parisien newspaper, the gang had at least one handgun and a shotgun, though no one was injured during the robbery which was over in just a few minutes.

Four of the suspects got away on scooters while three others tried to flee in a BMW that soon got stuck in heavy traffic.

As they tried to escape on foot, one of the suspects turned and pointed his weapon at officers who shot in response, wounding him in the leg and capturing him, while the two others disappeared into the crowded streets.

The Italian jeweller Bulgari is owned by the French fashion conglomerate LVMH, which also owns the Parisien newspaper which first reported the arrests.

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