Gunmen Ambush Saudi Prince's Motorcade in France

The armed robbers made off with a car and cash.

ByABC News
August 18, 2014, 6:14 AM

— -- Armed robbers ambushed the motorcade of a Saudi prince in France, stealing a car and a large sum of money, French authorities told ABC News.

The ambush happened at 9 p.m. local time Sunday while the prince, who has not been named, was traveling in a three-vehicle motorcade to Paris–Le Bourget Airport. The first Mercedes in the motorcade carried a driver, the prince and two bodyguards, authorities said.

The second car contained a driver and two Saudi diplomats. The third car contained a driver and 250,000 euros – more than $330,000 in U.S. money – along with Saudi embassy documents.

The gunmen attacked only the third car, authorities said, taking the money, documents and the driver, who was later released. One of the BMWs used in the heist was later found burned, officials said.

The site of the incident, Porte de la Chapelle, is one of the few places in Paris not covered by surveillance cameras, which police believe the thieves knew.