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An Apple store in Paris was the target of a New Year’s Eve armed robbery. An estimated £1m of fruit-themed products were taken, in particular, iPhones and iPads.
In an undoubtedly calculated move, the robbery took place a few hours after closing time on New Years Eve when local police were busy controlling crowds of celebrators. Although the thieves were armed with handguns, only one security guard was “lightly injured”, the Daily Mail reports.
A spokesperson told French newspaper Le Parisien that the thieves came “well prepared”, adding, “As the majority of police were busy watching the Champs Elysées, the robbers took advantage of this opportunity.” Although an official amount is unknown, it’s estimated that the total loss is around £1m made up primarily of products, rather than cash.
It’s not the first time an Apple store has been the focus of a robbery — 250 iPhone 5s were stolen by an employee and London’s Covent Garden store was the victim of a smash and grab. As they’re such hot products, iPhones and iPads will always be the target of thefts, so it’s always worth buying your phones from trusted sources — or from the Apple store — rather than from eBay or “that guy in the pub”.
French police are currently examining CCTV footage to identify the criminals and witnesses are being questioned.
What do you think to the robbery? Did the thieves choose their target wisely, or would the Samsung store down the road have been the better option? Pop your thoughts in the comments below or over on our Facebook page.
