Article
Seven Minutes to Plunder: The Louvre's Priceless Crown Jewels Vanish in Audacious Daylight Heist
Summary
A professional gang stole eight priceless French Crown Jewels from the Louvre in a stunning seven-minute daylight heist using a vehicle lift and power tools. The theft exposed severe security flaws, triggered national outrage, and led to fears the historic artifacts will be dismantled.
PARIS – A daring and stunning daylight robbery unfolded at the Louvre Museum on Sunday morning, during which eight of France's most valuable Crown Jewels were stolen in a seven-minute operation. The daylight robbery, which was conducted shortly after the museum opened to the public, stunned the country and led to an immediate, high-profile investigation.
The daring heist started at approximately 9:30 a.m. in the Galerie d'Apollon, the room that contains the ancient royal collection. Four figures, some dressed in construction worker costumes, climbed to the first-floor window along the Seine-side façade, which was an area also said to be under renovation. With power tools, they quickly shattered the window, followed by smashing two display cases to grab the artifacts.
Among the items pilfered are a breathtaking sapphire tiara, necklace, and single earring once part of 19th-century French queens' accessories, and an emerald necklace and identical earrings given by Napoleon as a wedding gift to Empress Marie-Louise. Thieves' attempt at taking away the heavily-encrusted Crown of Empress Eugénie failed; it was dropped and later retrieved near the museum, but damaged. Officials describe the stolen heritage as being of "incalculable" value.
The speed and precision of the crime suggest a highly professional and seasoned group of criminals who conducted extensive surveillance. Motor scooters were used by the robbers to flee, leaving equipment behind.
The robbery has raised an outraged debate over the security level at France's national cultural institutions, with the interior minister conceding an "failure" of protection measures. The alarm systems in the gallery are reported to have malfunctioned. It has been denounced by political and public figures as an "attack on our history" and "unbearable humiliation." Experts now fear historic artifacts will be dismantled for constituent stones and melted down, making their recovery in tact highly unlikely. Officials are viewing CCTV footage and have promised a national review of museum security to avoid further break-ins.