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SWEDEN-ROYALS-THEFT
Thieves snatch Swedish royal jewels in daylight heist
STOCKHOLM, Aug 1, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – Robbers who nabbed two 17th century
royal crowns and an orb from a Swedish cathedral remained at large on
Wednesday, a day after fleeing their daring midday heist by motorboat.
The thieves, who have not been identified, and the jewels are being sought
internationally via Interpol, Swedish police spokesman Stefan Dangardt said,
noting the objects were a “national treasure” and would likely be “very
difficult to sell”.
The 1611 gold burial crowns belonging to King Karl IX and his wife Queen
Christina were originally interred with the couple but were later exhumed and
had been on display in a locked cabinet in Strangnas Cathedral, located 100
kilometers (60 miles) west of Stockholm.
King Karl IX’s crown is made of gold and features crystals and pearls,
while Christina’s is smaller and made of gold, precious stones and pearls.
“We have as yet no value of the stolen goods, except that it is a national
treasure,” Dangardt told AFP.
“Several people were seen leaving the church by boat or waterscooter after
the theft. We have spoken to witnesses, but we are interested in further
information from anyone that has made any observations,” he said.
Tom Rowsell, who was having lunch outside the cathedral where he is to be
married this weekend, told daily Aftonbladet he saw two men dash from the
building toward a motorboat waiting on Lake Malaren.
“I saw a white little boat with an outboard motor on the back. The two men
hurriedly jumped on board and it sped off,” he said.
“I knew immediately they were burglars, because of the way they were
behaving,” he added.
– ‘Not possible to sell’-
The theft occurred just before noon on Tuesday, and police quickly had
helicopters, patrols, and search dogs looking for the thieves but their
efforts have so far proved fruitless, Dangardt said.
“There is of course going to be a lot of media interest in these types of
objects. There will be pictures in the media. It’s just not possible to sell
these kinds of objects,” the national police coordinator for thefts of
cultural artefacts, Maria Ellior, told news agency TT.
“So we can only speculate about (the thieves) intentions,” she added.
Similar heists have occurred before.
In 2013, King Johan III’s burial regalia was stolen from Vasteras
Cathedral. It was recovered several days later in a garbage bag left on a
countryside road, following an anonymous tip.
“One can hope that something like that will happen in this case,” Ellior
said.
The perpetrators of Tuesday’s heist risk up to six years in prison for
aggravated theft.
BSS/AFP/ARS/1725 hrs