Russians robbed of €100K on French motorway

A Russian couple has been robbed of jewelry and luxury goods worth some 100,000 euros on a stretch of Parisian motorway notorious for the robberies of wealthy tourists.

Robbers in France are known to target highways carrying wealthy tourists. Henry Salomé/CC

According to a police source, the couple was robbed on the A1 motorway north of the French capital on Tuesday night, just after they landed at Paris' Le Bourget airport which is used by private jets.

Le Parisien newspaper reported that their chauffeur-driven car was pushed towards the motorway exit by another vehicle.

Three thieves seized their jewelry, clothes and other possessions, a police source said, with the value estimated at 100,000 euros.

Regular robberies

The stretch of motorway, which serves the Charles de Gaulle airport as well as Le Bourget, is the scene of regular robberies by thieves targeting wealthy visitors to Paris.

Two Qataris were robbed of five million euros while on their way into the city centre in November. A month earlier three thieves attacked a taxi that was carrying a businessman and his wife and made off with their luggage, at an estimated loss to the couple of 100,000 euros.

In August 2014, a gang of armed and masked men attacked a Saudi prince after his arrival at Le Bourget airport, stealing 250,000 euros and diplomatic documents.