Six arrested for Uruguay jewellery heist

Montevideo, Dec 28 (IANS/EFE) Six Uruguayans, including three women, were arrested for allegedly stealing jewellery worth $250,000 from an American couple who were living near the vacation home of singer Shakira in the resort city of Punta del Este, police said.

The suspects include “relatives and people close to” the couple’s household staff, Maldonado police chief Juan Balbis said Monday.

The resort cities of Punta del Este and Piriapolis are located within the limits of Maldonado.

The heist occurred early Saturday at a house located in the Jose Ignacio district near the vacation home of Colombian singer Shakira.

The property’s owner, who works in the securities business in New York, was at home when the robbery occurred, but he did not notice that the uninsured jewellery was missing until the next day.

The thieves broke into the house and stole the jewellery from a safe.

Investigators found that the safe was not damaged and the alarm had been disconnected.

–IANS/EFE