Brazen Heist at teh Louvre: Priceless jewelry Stolen in Four Minutes
Paris’s Louvre Museum was the target of a daring robbery on Sunday, resulting in the theft of eight items of priceless jewellery. According to the French Ministry of the Interior, the heist unfolded in just four minutes, beginning around 9:30 am (07:30 GMT) after the museum had opened to the public.
The thieves targeted the Galerie d’Apollon (Apollo’s Gallery), home to the French crown jewels. Thay gained entry by using a basket lift to reach windows, then employed power tools – specifically a disc cutter – to breach the glass panes. One ninth item, the crown of Empress Eugenie, wife of Napoleon III, was recovered nearby after being dropped during the escape.
Culture Minister Rachida Dati confirmed the speed of the operation, stating, “This operation lasted almost four minutes – it was very quick. We have to say that these are professionals.”
Authorities report no injuries to the public, Louvre staff, or law enforcement. While the monetary value of the stolen items is significant, the Ministry of the Interior emphasized their ”priceless heritage and historical value.”
The Louvre was closed for the day for “exceptional reasons,” as announced on X (formerly Twitter). Forensic experts are currently collecting evidence, and CCTV footage is being reviewed to aid in the examination.
Interior Minister laurent Nunez described the theft as a “major robbery” involving “jewels of inestimable value.” The thieves escaped on motorbikes. Reports indicate they accessed the museum via the facade facing the Seine River, an area currently undergoing construction.
This incident is part of a recent trend of museum thefts in France. Last month, the natural History Museum in Paris was robbed of gold samples worth €600,000 ($700,000), with thieves using an angle grinder and blowtorch. In November 2023,the Cognacq-Jay museum was targeted,with thieves using axes and baseball bats to steal snuffboxes and artifacts.
The Louvre itself has a history of high-profile thefts, most notably the 1911 theft of the Mona Lisa, which was recovered two years later in Italy, and a 1983 theft of Renaissance-era armour recovered nearly four decades later.
