'To Catch a Thief' — a Real Life Heist on the Riviera

On the bookshelf at Le Matisse, my apartment in Nice, is a DVD of the Hitchcock film, ‘To Catch a Thief,’ starring Cary Grant and Grace Kelly. When I’m there, I love watching it time and again because 1) Cary Grant is drop dead handsome, even in his striped sweater, 2) Grace Kelly is drop dead gorgeous and her wardrobe is to die for, 3) it takes place on the Riviera and 4) it’s a great story by a great director and it just doesn’t get better than that.

Now, a real-life heist has hit the Riviera in an imitation of the film, not only at the Carlton Hotel in Cannes which was featured in To Catch a Thief, but right here in our own backyard in Nice.

At the end of July, one lone thief escaped with $136 million worth of jewels, armed with a handgun, who slipped through a half-open window into the luxurious Carlton Intercontinental Hotel in Cannes, and helped himself to diamonds and other gems. He struck as unarmed security men were transferring the valuables from a safe to display chests, taking less than one minute to stuff the loot into a briefcase and escape on foot.

The heist is just one of a string of similar thefts blighting the Riviera, following, what has been called by the press as “audacious,” escapes from Swiss jails by three of the so-called “Pink Panther Gang” — originally Serbs and Montenegrins now turned jewel thieves. Aptly named after another film, one of the series starring Peter Sellers as the “incompetent French detective Inspector Clouseau,” the gang is blamed for a 2005 heist in Saint-Tropez of gems worth $3 million.

So, with all the publicity of the recent jewel thefts, we shouldn’t have been shocked when a thief (or more) managed to break though three locks to
a friend’s rental apartment in Nice un-noticed, taking with him handpicked jewels, cash and other valuables, leaving all the electronic goods behind.  

One might deduce that the thief targeted the victim by watching who comes and goes wearing or carrying valuable things — things they can ‘fence.’ One might also deduce that it’s not so difficult to see in which apartment they reside just by waiting and watching which lights turn on after entering. And one might also deduce that the first security door of any building is fairly easy to enter if the thief waits for someone to exit, slipping in before the door closes completely.

No one was hurt — which is not the style of a Pink Panther or Cary Grant kind of Riviera robber, but the locks were broken and every personal item was gone through. It’s a violation of privacy and a loss of assets. Hopefully these valuable items are insured and therefore the insurance company will be the real loser.

I tell you this not to frighten you, but to forewarn and arm you. When you travel, leave your finest possessions behind. While it may be safe and culturally acceptable to flaunt your wealth in the U.S., it’s not in Europe — so any display of “richesse” is a sign there may be more where it comes from. Don’t carry large sums of cash — frequent the ATM’s and get small amounts as you go. If there is a safe in your hotel room or apartment, use it. (If you are the owner of a rental apartment, you should install one!)

And most of all, be aware. Watch for any suspicious behavior or anyone eyeing you for more than just a flirtation. And even with that…there may be a good reason for his adoring eyes! I always think how I might swoon if Cary got friendly with me and how his sticky fingers may have ended up glued to something I liked wearing…just as they did with Grace’s diamond necklace in To Catch a Thief. (Of course, it wasn’t Cary who was the thief, as we know by watching the movie a zillion times!)

A bientôt,

Adrian Leeds

Editor, French Property Insider & Director of The Adrian Leeds Group, LLC

Email: [email protected]

P.S. Two House Hunters International episodes for the price of one! On August 13 at 7:30 p.m. E/P see “Sizing Up the Parisian Suburbs” and on the same night see our newest episode “Becoming a Buyer in Nice” at 10:30 p.m. and 1:30 a.m. EST/PST. Then, don’t miss another new episode that will air on Wednesday, August 28th at 10:30 p.m. EST and 1:30 a.m. EST!!! — “Planning a Future in Paris, France,” Episode HHINT-5612H Full details for each episode is available at Adrian Leeds on House Hunters International. 

P.P.S. There will be no French Property Insider edition on Thursday, August 22nd for the vacation period. We still publish 50 issues a year free of charge! Encourage your friends to subscribe at French Property Insider