Parisian Apple Store Robbed of 1 Million Euros in Merchandise on New Year's Eve

The Apple Store Opéra in Paris, France was robbed by four masked gunmen on New Year's Eve. The thieves made off with more than 1 million euros worth of iPhones and iPads.

Christophe Crepin, an Unsa police union official, told Le Parisien newspaper that 'the four hooded and heavily armed criminals made their move very quickly. Most of the police forces were being mobilised to monitor the Champs Elysees, so the robbers have clearly benefitted from this opportunity to strike.'

Mr Crepin said the robbers mainly took 'a lot of goods' and very little money. Early estimates were that the haul was worth well over 1 million euros, or close to 1 million pounds.

With Apple gadgets fetching such a high price on the secondary market, thefts of individual devices in muggings are common. However, organized robberies on Apple Retail Stores are more uncommon.

The Covent Garden location in London was attacked by a group of armed motorcycle riders in 2011, while an Apple Store employee was shot at a Virginia Apple Store back in 2009. Smash and grabs are more common, with thieves using vehicles to crash through the barricades at outdoor stores to steal merchandise.