A diamond necklace belonging to Egypt’s Queen Nazli and displayed at the MAK in Austria’s capital Vienna was stolen. The incident occurred yesterday afternoon when two people who entered the museum posing as visitors broke the display case with a hammer, took the necklace and fled.
Police launched a large-scale operation to apprehend the suspects. In addition to security-camera footage from inside the museum, recordings from surrounding streets and metro stations are also being examined.
Witnesses who were in the exhibition hall at the time were interviewed. Police believe the suspects knew in advance which piece they intended to steal.
ORF reported that police had not commented on whether the theft was commissioned, as the investigation continues.
Police work to identify the suspects
Police announced that they had obtained footage of the suspects from security cameras. Efforts to identify and apprehend the two people are continuing.
The exhibition, which was temporarily closed after the theft, reopened to visitors after a security assessment with police was completed. The MAK said the necessary conditions had been met for the exhibition to operate safely.
The necklace sold for $4.3 million in 2016
Police confirmed that the stolen piece was the world-famous diamond necklace belonging to Egypt’s Queen Nazli. No statement was made about the necklace’s current value.
According to Sotheby’s records, the necklace was sold for $4.3 million at an auction held in New York in 2016. The necklace, made in 1939 by a Paris-based luxury jewelry company, contains more than 600 diamonds.
The exhibition features around 500 pieces, including more than 300 works from the same company’s 120-year history and more than 200 items from the MAK collection.
