Authorities have launched a sweeping investigation after a brazen daylight robbery at the Louvre Museum, where a group of masked thieves escaped with nine priceless jewels linked to Napoleon Bonaparte and his imperial family.
The heist occurred just after 9:30 a.m. Sunday in the museum’s famed Apollo Gallery, moments after opening to visitors. According to The Telegraph, the intruders — arriving by scooters and armed with cutting tools — smashed through glass cases displaying royal artifacts, including necklaces, brooches, and tiaras from the French crown jewels collection.
French officials said the group entered from the Seine River side using a van equipped with an extendable ladder near a construction area. They broke a window, shattered the displays, and fled within minutes, abandoning their vehicle nearby.
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez called it “a major robbery by a team that had done scouting,” noting that the entire operation lasted just seven minutes. Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau said four people were involved, at least one wearing a reflective vest. Surveillance footage shows a masked suspect slicing through a display case with an angle grinder.
Investigators recovered gloves, a blowtorch, blankets, and the yellow vest at the scene. Among the stolen pieces were an emerald wedding set gifted to Empress Marie-Louise, a sapphire tiara belonging to Queen Marie-Amélie, and the diamond-and-emerald Eugénie Crown, which was reportedly dropped and damaged during the escape.
Authorities have not ruled out international involvement and have opened a probe into theft and organized criminal conspiracy. Culture Minister Rachida Dati warned that organized crime is increasingly targeting cultural treasures: “We must adapt museums to these new forms of crime. They are professionals.”
The Louvre closed for the day as police cordoned off surrounding streets. “It’s hard to imagine that it’s seemingly so easy to rob the Louvre,” said Paris Centre Mayor Ariel Weil. Thankfully, no one was injured, and other iconic works — including the Mona Lisa and the Regent diamond — remain safe.
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