'Sleeping gas' thieves target super-rich at Italian billionaires' resort

Burglars suspected of using sleeping gas to ensure they are not disturbed during break-ins on Sardinia's Costa Smeralda

Police in the billionaires' retreat of Porto Cervo on Sardinia's Costa Smeralda believe thieves who made off with €315,000 (£280,000) in cash and jewels used sleeping gas on their victims to ensure they were not disturbed during the break-in.

Similar robberies have been reported this summer in France and Spain.

The burglaries in Porto Cervo, which took place last week, were only disclosed by police on Tuesday. The thieves sneaked into the rented holiday villa of a Milanese pharmaceuticals tycoon and left with a haul worth around €300,000. The businessman's 42-year-old wife, her mother and their daughter were all in the house, along with a servant, but no one heard the burglars, even though they took the windows off their hinges to get in.

At the villa next door, two holidaymakers found a watch and €15,000 in cash missing. They told police they had woken up feeling weak and dazed.

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/aug/30/italy-thieves-sleeping-gas-sardinia

This used to be a fairly common practice in the late 19th, early 20th century as well.

And yes, the DU collective will be tsk tsking me for that because it's the super rich, who are okay to steal from regardless.

I think shooting the people they stole from would have been way harsh even though their targets are very rich...