Florence - The series of burglaries in Italy's luxury boutiques continues unabated. On Sunday night, the Dior store in the heart of Florence became the target of a professionally planned theft. At around 3 a.m., unknown persons broke into the store in the prestigious Via Strozzi and stole handbags and designer clothing worth an estimated 200,000 euros. The incident is already the second serious burglary in Florence city center within a few weeks.
A cinematic break-in through the back door
The perpetrators' approach shows precise planning and local knowledge. Instead of attacking the secured shop windows at the front, they gained access through an adjacent building. From there, they broke open an inconspicuous back door to the Dior store through cellar rooms. To cover their tracks and gain time, the burglars set off smoke grenades inside. A security guard noticed the rising smoke and initially alerted the fire department to a suspected fire. When the emergency services arrived, the thieves had long since disappeared with their valuable loot. Investigators assume that a well-organized gang was involved, which secured the area with accomplices and lookouts.
Italy's luxury sector targeted by crime
The coup at Dior is not an isolated incident. A jeweler in Florence was robbed as recently as the night of Ferragosto. Robberies at brands such as Bulgari and Valentino in Rome and Hermès in Milan are becoming more frequent across the country. These crimes often follow a similar pattern: the perpetrators use weak points in the building structure, such as side entrances or even the sewage system, to bypass modern alarm systems. The police are now evaluating the images from numerous surveillance cameras in order to reconstruct the perpetrators' escape route and deal a blow to organized crime. While the investigation is in full swing, the Dior boutique demonstrated normality on Sunday morning and opened as usual for its customers.
