MAK tightens security after jewellery heist

Vienna’s Museum of Applied Arts has tightened security after Friday’s jewellery robbery, ORF reported. Visitors to the museum, where the Glanzstücke exhibition is on display, must now pass through a full-body scanner before entering.

A metal detector has also been installed at the entrance to prevent weapons from being brought inside. According to the Kurier newspaper, visitors are additionally required to leave bags and backpacks at the cloakroom. The museum has reportedly increased its security staff and expanded video surveillance.

A visitor from Canada told Wien heute that he saw one of the robbers run down a staircase carrying a weapon before meeting another man waiting outside. The two men then fled towards Stadtpark, a public park.

Police spokesperson Philipp Haßlinger said on Saturday that the exact escape route was still unclear. He said only a few minutes passed between the men entering the museum and fleeing.

An international search using images of the suspects is under way. Their photographs are being sent to other police authorities and checked against databases, Haßlinger said, declining to provide further details about the investigation.