Thieves rob three paintings from French Riviera's Renoir Museum

PARIS, Sept 8 - The Renoir Museum on the French Riviera was targeted by two thieves who stole three paintings early on Tuesday, the mayor of Cagnes-sur-Mer, where the museum is located, said in a statement on Facebook.

The robbers broke into the museum a little before 6 am and took four paintings, mayor Bryan Masson said. He added that the police had spotted and chased them, but they escaped.

During the chase, they dropped one of the paintings, he added.

Art thieves in Europe are committing more violent robberies and specialist gangs have been replaced by ad-hoc opportunists recruited through social media, Europol said last month.

The heist at the Louvre Museum in Paris in October last year was a prime example of this, Europol said, as the thieves threatened guards and visitors, and stole €88 million ($102.3 million) worth of jewels such as Empress Eugenie's tiara. REUTERS