Around fifteen thieves attacked two heavily guarded vans carrying jewels at a French motorway toll station, making off with a haul worth around nine million euros ($11 million), sources close to the investigation said Wednesday.
The heist took place around midnight on the A6 motorway at the Avallon toll booth, around 200 kilometres (125 miles) southeast of Paris.
The local prosecutor from the city of Auxerre told AFP that no one was hurt in the robbery.
Police have set up a perimeter around the heist with air support in a bid to catch the robbers.