Europe’s largest museum, the Louvre Museum in Paris, has shuttered its doors. This decision follows half of France’s boldest robbery of the French crown jewels, estimated at €88 million (£76 million). The heist took place on October 19. It caused an outcry about the museum’s security protocols and underscored the daring nature of the thieves.
At around 9:30 a.m., four men executed their plan using a stolen furniture removal truck equipped with an extending ladder and lift. Such a fun or flippant approach enabled two of the suspects to earn entry into the museum’s first-floor Apollo gallery. Wearing high-visibility vests, they were able to pass themselves off as highway maintenance workers. Through great guile and dexterity they flew under the radar past a complicated gauntlet of security hurdles.
Once inside the gallery the criminals took only a little under four minutes to complete their heist. They cavorted through a window left unattended. They then used petrol disc cutters to smash open two glass display cases and made off with eight high value, gem-encrusted pieces. Among them was this large, beautiful emerald and diamond necklace. Napoleon I personally bequeathed it to his second wife, Marie Louise. Stolen was a spectacular jewel-studded diadem, set with 212 pearls and almost 2,000 diamonds. This beautiful object had previously been owned by Empress Eugénie, the wife of Napoleon III.
Once their mission was accomplished, the two men promptly descended in the bucket lift. They then fled rapidly on motorbikes, driven by their waiting accomplices. In the end, they got away with quite a few highly prized pieces. In all the excitement, their misplaced haste caused them to drop a diamond and emerald studded crown.
Following the attack, police chief Patrice Faure admitted that the museum’s security protocols were seriously lacking. He stressed the urgency of making short-term improvements in order to avoid these types of breaches going forward. The Louvre has launched an €80 million (£70 million) programme of security improvements. Unfortunately, this initiative won’t be finished until deep into the next decade.
“Anyone who buys them would be guilty of concealment of stolen goods,” – Laure Beccuau, Paris prosecutor.
Laure Beccuau appealed for anyone with information about the stolen jewels to come forward. She concluded, “The play is not yet over so you can still return them.” As authorities pursue their investigation, they’ve asked the public to help them recover the artifacts taken from the site.
The theft has left many wondering about security measures taken at the world’s most visited museum. The Louvre, which attracts millions of visitors annually, must now confront its vulnerabilities and take decisive action to protect its treasures. This incident not only highlights the ongoing challenges museums face in safeguarding valuable collections but emphasizes the need for improved security measures across cultural institutions globally.
While the investigations continue, law enforcement is hopeful to identify the perpetrators and recapture any items taken. The public is always on guard for anything they can use to further their recovery. In the interim, law enforcement and museum professionals on the ground are doing significant work to reestablish trust that cultural heritage sites will be secure.