In a meticulously planned and audacious robbery, thieves targeted the Louvre Museum in Paris on the morning of Sunday, October 19. The perpetrators, disguised as construction workers, made off with a collection of historic French Crown Jewels of immense cultural and financial value.
The operation began shortly after the museum opened. Utilizing a vehicle-mounted mechanical lift, the suspects accessed a second-floor balcony of the Galerie d’Apollon. Once inside, they threatened security personnel, forcing an evacuation, and employed power tools to breach two reinforced display cases.
Authorities report the entire incident lasted a mere four minutes. The thieves escaped on scooters, having stolen eight specific items. The haul includes irreplaceable pieces from the 19th century, such as a tiara and brooch that belonged to Empress Eugénie, an emerald necklace and earrings from Empress Marie Louise, and items from the sapphire collection of Queen Marie-Amelie.
While the investigation is ongoing, led by a specialized police unit, initial theories from officials suggest the robbery could be the work of organized crime. One line of inquiry points to the involvement of a private collector who commissioned the theft. An alternative theory posits that drug trafficking networks may have orchestrated the heist as a method to launder illicit profits.
The absence of functional security cameras in at least one of the targeted rooms is a significant point of the investigation. The brazen nature of the theft, executed in broad daylight at one of the world’s most visited museums, has raised serious questions about security protocols for France’s national treasures.
