$25 Million In Stolen Harry Winston Jewels Found In Paris Sewer

French police have recovered a cache of stolen Harry Winston gems hidden in a rain sewer. The loot, spoils from a brazen 2008 heist, was found in a plastic container set in a cement mold, inside a drain at a house in Seine-Saint-Denis, according to police statements.

Nineteen rings—including one valued at $8.3 million—and 3 sets of earrings were found, part of a $111 million lift taken from a Harry Winston boutique two years ago.

As many as four armed thieves, some dressed as women in wigs, stormed the luxury jewelry store in December 2008. Police reports say the robbery was carried out near the Champs-Elysee in broad daylight and lasted a mere 15 minutes.

Authorities previously recovered some of the stolen valuables when 25 people were detained and questioned in June 2009.

Nine people were charged, including the alleged mastermind, who had already been sentenced to 15 years in prison in an unrelated drug trafficking case.

Source : Forbes