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Austrian Police Launch Manhunt for Van Cleef Necklace Thieves

8/29/2026

Summary

Police Launch Manhunt

Austrian police launched an international manhunt after two men stole the Van Cleef & Arpels necklace from Vienna’s Museum of Applied Arts.
The necklace, made for Egypt’s former royal family, contains 673 diamonds weighing over 200 carats.
Thieves entered as ticketed visitors, broke the glass case with a hammer, then fled toward Vienna Stadtpark.
Police released unmasked photos of two slim men, 170–175 cm tall, with dark hair and beards, while appealing for tips.

Summary

Europol Warns

Europol warned that museum heists are becoming more violent and using brute-force tactics.
The Vienna robbery followed recent daylight thefts at the Louvre and Spain’s Villena Bronze Age gold collection.
Investigators suspect the necklace theft was a contract job commissioned by an organized crime gang.
European museum directors say the heist will trigger a continent-wide review of security measures.

History

Historical Context

On March 18 1990 two thieves posing as police entered Boston’s Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum and stole 13 masterpieces valued at about $500 million, prompting the FBI to allocate a $10 million reward and spurring U.S. museums to upgrade surveillance. The unsolved case has inspired documentaries, prompted law-enforcement collaborations across the Atlantic, and continues to influence security discussions worldwide.

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Police Launch Manhunt

Austrian police launched an international manhunt after two men stole the Van Cleef & Arpels necklace from Vienna’s Museum of Applied Arts.
The necklace, made for Egypt’s former royal family, contains 673 diamonds weighing over 200 carats.
Thieves entered as ticketed visitors, broke the glass case with a hammer, then fled toward Vienna Stadtpark.
Police released unmasked photos of two slim men, 170–175 cm tall, with dark hair and beards, while appealing for tips.

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