On Sunday, one of the most visited museums in the world—the Louvre Museum in Paris—was suddenly targeted by professional thieves, turning it into a dramatic scene for a high-profile jewelry heist. This brazen daytime robbery, lasting only a few minutes, aimed at priceless jewels from the French royal collection, forcing the museum to close immediately to ensure safety at the scene.
According to reports, the heist took place at the Galerie d’Apollon, with the assailants executing their plan with a movie-like precision. Authorities have confirmed that there were 3 to 4 thieves, some disguised as construction workers, who easily accessed the museum’s first-floor windows using a mobile platform set up on the Seine River facade. They utilized tools such as angle grinders to break open display cases, successfully stealing 8 pieces of historic jewelry, including an emerald and sapphire set once worn by Empress Marie-Louise and Queen Marie-Amélie.
According to the report from The New York Times, two thieves stealthily entered from the second-floor terrace and used a van-mounted electric lift to reach the scene. The entire robbery was completed in just 7 minutes. They smashed two display cases, and after the police alarm sounded repeatedly, the thieves made their escape along the road by the Hamburg River, where they met up with two accomplices riding motorcycles, vanishing into thin air.
French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez expressed shock at the incident, describing it as large-scale and well-organized criminal activities. Although Empress Eugénie’s crown was recovered outside the museum, it was already damaged. The stolen jewels are believed to hold The immeasurable value of cultural heritage., far exceeding their market value, and this immediately raised questions about the security measures at the Louvre. This incident is also regarded as one of the boldest museum heists in recent years.
