Three thieves have removed four impressionist paintings from a private collection housed at a foundation in Zurich in a brazen robbery in broad daylight while the facility was still open to the public, reports the New York Times European online [1]edition.

"The police said the fact that the theft took place while the museum was still open and the thieves were armed presented 'a new dimension' for art robbery, and they said they were concerned it would set a new precedent," according to the Times.

Though individually the works were not the most expensive works that the thieves could have grabbed, together they are valued at $163 million and may comprise the highest value heist in European art theft history.