French police said they were hunting three men suspected of being behind the spectacular theft last week of a million euros (USD 1.4 million) worth of jewellery at the Cannes Film Festival.
Police in Nice said the three suspects are believed to have broken into the hotel room occupied by an American employee of Swiss jewellery-maker Chopard in the early hours of Friday.
"We presume it was people specialised in this kind of theft," Philippe Frizon of Nice police, who are running the investigation, told AFP.
He said the three suspects entered the room through a door connecting it to an adjoining room while the Chopard employee was out for the evening and removed the small safe containing the jewellery.
Among the items taken were necklaces, rings, earrings and bracelets that were to be loaned to stars at the festival.
The Chopard employee was questioned on Friday but is not considered a suspect, police said.
