French police have recovered all the jewels that a gang of thieves attempted to steal from a store in the upscale Paris Ritz hotel, a source close to the investigation says.
Three axe-wielding thieves carried out the brazen robbery last week at the ultra-chic hotel on the city centre's Place Vendome.
But the three, all aged about 30, were arrested after being blocked in the building. Two accomplices waiting outside were thrown some booty and escaped by car and motorbike.
The motorcyclist, however, dropped one satchel after hitting a pedestrian in a melee fleeing the scene.
"I can confirm that all the stolen jewels were found in the bag recovered by police officers," the source said.
The getaway car was found about 20km north of Paris in an area where the three arrested came from.
A figure of €4.5 million ($7.5m), announced earlier, related to the total value of the jewellery in the display cases.
- AAP