French police arrest Pink Panther prison escapee
8/21/2013PARIS — Police in southeast France have arrested a 47-year-old member of the notorious Pink Panther gang of jewel thieves who escaped from a Swiss prison earlier this year.
A national police official said today the suspect of Montenegrin origin was detained two days earlier in the town of Bedarrides.
The suspect, who wasn’t identified by name, was arrested under an international arrest warrant issued by prosecutors in Lausanne, Switzerland, on charges of armed robbery, drug trafficking and a prison escape. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to speak publicly on the matter.
Three Pink Panther members broke out of Swiss prisons this year. Interpol says the group has netted over 330 million euros ($436 million) in numerous jewel thefts around the world since 1999.