One-million-euro heist at the Sant'Agostino auction house in Turin: thieves strike in four minutes

The incident occurred in a central area of the city, on Via Tassoni, home to the historic Turinese auction house. The carabinieri arrived on the scene at 4:29, by which time the unknown individuals had already vanished. The investigations by the Arma are in full swing: investigators are examining the recordings and gathering any witness statements to trace the identity of those responsible.

The stolen pieces and the one left on the ground

The maison, after emphasizing that the value of the items had a starting price (the "base") of one million but that with the likely bidding it would have increased, issued a lengthy statement to make the incident known. On 9 and 10 June, moreover, an auction had been scheduled: it is not yet clear whether the calendar will be altered or whether some of the planned lots were affected by the theft.

Among the most significant pieces stolen are a ring with a Colombian emerald of nearly four carats flanked by two half-moon cut diamonds, a pair of "Cantamessa" earrings in white gold with a pavé of brilliant-cut diamonds, and a semi-rigid "Bonanza" choker in yellow gold with broken lines in platinum. There were also earrings with high-value diamonds and a French snuffbox in yellow gold datable to 1780-1790, a prized antiques piece.

One "tennis bracelet in white gold with 9-carat brilliant-cut diamonds" was saved. The carabinieri found it on the floor of the hall, as if the thieves had dropped it during their escape. The find, although limited, could provide further useful elements for the investigation and for reconstructing the paths followed by the perpetrators inside the premises.

The auction house's reaction

"Seeing the images was shocking," commented the owner, Vanessa Carioggia, who followed the phases of the raid remotely by viewing the footage. Sant'Agostino itself informed the public that it has "a substantial insurance policy that is being activated also as a guarantee for owners," reassuring clients and consignors about the coverage of the stolen goods.

The dynamics — a few minutes, covered faces, burglary tools, immediate getaway — recall the modus operandi of gangs specialized in lightning raids on high-end commercial establishments. For the investigators, the task now is to cross-reference the images with the video surveillance systems in the area and verify any connections with similar incidents that have occurred in the city or in other locations in Northern Italy.

The carabinieri's investigations

Four minutes to plunder a one-million-euro treasure: that is the summary circulating in auction circles, where the news has caused a strong impression. The auction house assures full cooperation with the Arma dei carabinieri and invites anyone with useful information to contact the police. At the moment, no one has been detained or identified.

On the private security front, the incident relaunches the debate on the adequacy of passive protection systems — display cases, sensors, iron grilles — in the face of such rapid and targeted raids. Industry experts note that, in the absence of nighttime security personnel, a venue's resistance capacity depends almost exclusively on the response times of the police, who in this case were notified only after the job was done.

The reconstruction contained in the maison's statement, with the Arma's investigations in full swing, remains for now the reference account of what happened. In the coming days, the examination of the full footage, the analysis of the tampered electronic devices and any comparison with other recent jobs carried out in Piedmont and the neighboring regions will be decisive.