They say the loot worth some €4.5m (£4m; $5.4m) was in a bag dropped by one member of the five-strong gang during the brazen raid.

Three men have been arrested, police said, while others remain on the run.

The five-star Ritz is in Place Vendôme, in Paris' historical first district on the right bank of the river Seine.

"I can confirm that all the stolen jewels were found in the bag recovered by police officers," a source close to the investigation was quoted as saying by Reuters.nice . Keep up the good work