Thieves flee in speedboat with Swedish crown jewels
Friday, August 3, 2018 IST
STOCKHOLM: Two men walked into a small Swedish town's medieval cathedral on Tuesday and stole "priceless" crown jewels dating back to the early 1600s before escaping by speedboat, police said on Wednesday.
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The two vanished after the noon heist into a vast patchwork of lakes around Strangnas, 60 km from Stockholm.
They snatched two gold crowns and an orb made for King Karl IX and Queen Christina in the daring robbery. The king's crown is made of gold and features crystals and pearls, while Christina's is smaller and made of gold, precious stones and pearls.
The stolen items were on display at an exhibition in the cathedral. Visitors were inside at the time when the alarm went off as the burglars smashed the security glass and stole the artefacts. However, no one was hurt in the robbery. Police said the thieves could have fled further on jet skis.
While the items are of great historic value, police expressed doubt whether the burglary would bring the perpetrators financial gain. The items are a "national treasure" and hence "impossible to sell" because of their uniqueness and high visibility, Maria Ellior of the Swedish police's National Operations Department said. The theft would be logged at Interpol, enabling an international search. agencies
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