Thieves Stole More Than $5 Million Worth of Chanel Jewels in a Paris Smash-and-Grab

A Taiwanese art collector was robbed Thursday of nearly $5.4 million worth of Chanel jewels near Paris, France when her taxi was traveling through a long tunnel between the city and Charles De Gaulle Airport that has become infamous for theft.

French police are hunting three perpetrators who smashed the car window and snatched the woman’s handbag before escaping.

It has not been confirmed if the thieves were aware of the jewelry in the woman’s handbag or if they targeted the taxi at random, but police did point out that the uniqueness of the jewels would make them difficult to sell without a developed network.

According to Agence France-Presse, the woman said the jewels were meant to be displayed at the Museum of Modern Art in Paris. The museum has denied the claim.

Almost 1 mile (0.8 km) long, Landy Tunnel is the most common transit route taken to Paris from Charles De Gaulle Airport. Notable robberies include a 2010 smash-and-grab committed upon the daughter of the mayor of Kiev and a spectacular armed assault on a Saudi prince last August.