Saudi prince robbed at gunpoint of $335,000, sensitive diplomatic documents

A Saudi prince and his entourage were robbed at gunpoint as they made their way from a luxury hotel to a private French airport used by the rich and powerful. 

The Guardian reports that the prince was leaving after a stay at posh the George V hotel located on Paris' Champ Elysees for the Bourget airport. The airport is located approximately nine miles to the north of Paris.

As the prince's convoy approached the intersection where one would enter the airport's ring road, it was stopped by two BMWs without license plates. The thieves knew exactly what vehicle they wanted and approached, armed with either AK series rifles or handguns. The police said there were between five and eight people who participated in the brazen assault. 

They entered their target vehicle and drove off with its occupants. They then seized $335,000 and a number of diplomatic documents. The hostages were released unharmed later.

An hour later, the target vehicle and one of the BMWs were found in a village northeast of Paris. They had been stripped of any identification and then burned. Neither the French nor Saudi authorities have released any information about the documents that were stolen or the prince who was the victim.  At the scene of the burned out vehicles police found some medical drugs and documents in written in Arabic.

The police said that those who carried out the attack were professionals who knew what they were doing. The police also said that whoever was responsible most probably had some sort of inside information as they knew exactly which vehicle had the prince and would have been the best target for theft. The nature of the raid suggest they also knew the exact time the car would be and when.

The police are particularly concerned about finding out whether the thieves were after the money or the diplomatic documents.