Thieves steal €9m from jewel vans

ARMED robbers have stolen an estimated €9million worth of jewels from two armoured vehicles at motorway tolls on the A6 in the Yonne.

About 15 people attacked the vans with tear gas at about midnight on Wednesday in Avallon, about 200km south-east of Paris.

A major police hunt is under way, including helicopter searches. The two vehicles - belonging to security firm Temis - were bound for Besançon when they were hijacked, emptied, abandoned nearby and then torched.

The gang are understood to have fled in the direction of Paris and there were no reported injuries.

Un convoi de transport de bijoux braqué au péage d'Avallon : 9 millions d'euros de préjudice http://t.co/CFcT3apuD2 pic.twitter.com/j7jqdDK9iI— ecoregion_bourgogne (@ecoregion_bourg) March 11, 2015