The chase is on: In a daring daytime heist, thieves have gotten away with two Swedish royal crowns and an orb from the famous Strängnäs Cathedral, west of Stockholm, Sweden. The thieves, according to multiple news sources, stole the jewels from a locked display cabinet in the cathedral, then escaped by motorboat. Police are still searching for them.
The jewels stolen – two crowns and an orb – were used by 17th century King Karl IX and Queen Kristina. They are made of gold and feature beads, crystals, precious stones and pearls. At the time of the heist, on noon this Tuesday (July 31), the cathedral was open to visitors. There is no confirmation from the Swedish police whether the thieves smashed the cabinet to get the jewels out, but that is the common assumption.
An eyewitness told police he saw two men running from the building. According to police, the thieves made their way out of the area by a motorboat that waited for them the foot of the hill on Lake Mälaren, near the cathedral.
