[MSN] Museum theft. Armed men wearing wigs robbed a famous gold museum in Portugal's Viana do Castelo early on Thursday despite the city being full of police guarding a meeting there of EU foreign ministers.

[Museum Security Network Mailing list]

Portuguese gold museum robbed as EU ministers meet 
Reuters | Friday, 7 September 2007


Armed men wearing wigs robbed a famous gold museum in Portugal's Viana do
Castelo early on Thursday despite the city being full of police guarding a
meeting there of EU foreign ministers. 


Four people were injured by gunshots, including one policemen, local radio
TSF said. A witness quoted by TSF said he saw the robbers exchange fire with
police as they fled the museum and made their getaway in a van. 

"I heard them breaking the museum cabinets while police surrounded the
area," Luis Costa said. 

A police spokeswoman confirmed the robbery had taken place but declined to
give further details. 

EU foreign ministers and officials begin a two-day meeting in the northern
city on Friday. Portugal currently holds the six-month EU presidency and the
gathering is one of the biggest on its agenda. 

TSF said the gunmen had also robbed a jewellery store next to the museum.
The van they used to escape was found burning on the outskirts of the city. 

The heist is the latest in a wave of violent crime across the country. 

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