Monaco police net more Pink Panthers

Police in Monaco have arrested three men, one of them a Serb, believed to be members of a gang of jewelry robbers known as the Pink Panthers. The British daily Telegraph reports that the Serb, described by the police as one of the most wanted members of the gang, could be Dragan Mikic, the Pink Panther leader since his escape from prison in 2005. Monaco police net more Pink Panthers Mikic was "believed to have carried a Magnum 357 pistol on him at all times". Monaco sent its special police officers, armed with automatic rifles and stun grenades, to pick up the tree suspects on Thursday as they were leaving a casino. The police believe that the international jewel thieves were planning another robbery in the area, since many jewelry stores are located near the casino, the newspaper reported. The gang gained its reputation after the 1993 heist in London's Mayfair district, when they took jewels worth half a million British pounds. The Telegraph reminds that it was the British police that gave the group its nickname in the wake of this robbery, "as a reference to the debonair gentleman diamond robber from the 1960s Pink Panther film". The gang has so far staged some 120 robberies in 20 countries, taking goods worth an estimated GBP 150mn. Interpol believes there are as many as 200 Pink Panthers, "many of whom are believed to be Serbian and Montenegrin nationals with military experience". The Telegraph reminds that in October 2008, Monaco police arrested two suspected members of the gang in the same square. Two Montenegrins, suspected Pink Panther members, were jailed by a French court earlier this month on charges relating to forged papers. Also in June, Montenegrin police, acting on an Interpol warrant, arrested Vladimir Lekic, another suspected Pink Panther.

Monaco police net more Pink Panthers

Mikić was "believed to have carried a Magnum 357 pistol on him at all times".

Monaco sent its special police officers, armed with automatic rifles and stun grenades, to pick up the tree suspects on Thursday as they were leaving a casino.

The police believe that the international jewel thieves were planning another robbery in the area, since many jewelry stores are located near the casino, the newspaper reported.

The gang gained its reputation after the 1993 heist in London's Mayfair district, when they took jewels worth half a million British pounds.

The Telegraph reminds that it was the British police that gave the group its nickname in the wake of this robbery, "as a reference to the debonair gentleman diamond robber from the 1960s Pink Panther film".

The gang has so far staged some 120 robberies in 20 countries, taking goods worth an estimated GBP 150mn.

Interpol believes there are as many as 200 Pink Panthers, "many of whom are believed to be Serbian and Montenegrin nationals with military experience".

The Telegraph reminds that in October 2008, Monaco police arrested two suspected members of the gang in the same square.

Two Montenegrins, suspected Pink Panther members, were jailed by a French court earlier this month on charges relating to forged papers.

Also in June, Montenegrin police, acting on an Interpol warrant, arrested Vladimir Lekić, another suspected Pink Panther.