Burgled Bubbles: French Police Halt $650,000 Champagne Heist

A dramatic scene unfolded in Reims, France on Saturday morning as French police engaged in a high-speed chase to track down two truckloads of stolen Moët & Chandon worth over $650,000.

The Champagne was reported missing to authorities by an unnamed Reims-based distribution company sometime between the night of Nov. 10 and the following morning, according to French media outlets. Thanks to the tracking devices every lorry in the Champagne region is equipped with, it wouldn’t take long for the French police to locate the trucks transporting the stolen bubbles after the initial call. Two police cars identified the trucks near Pontault-Combault, about 12 miles outside of Paris, early Saturday morning.

During the heist, the two thieves attempted to throw the authorities off their tails by swerving in and out of traffic. One officer was eventually able to force one truck to slow, but its driver jumped out of the vehicle and into a sedan to escape. Simultaneously, the driver of the second truck exited the motorway at the next available off-ramp before ditching the loaded vehicle. The second truck was located hours later with the driver nowhere in sight.

An investigation is currently underway to find the drivers of the vehicles. Remarkably, each bottle remained intact during the pursuit and was recovered safely. LVMH, Moët & Chandon’s parent company, has yet to release a statement regarding the heist.

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