In a brazen daylight robbery, a group of thieves executed a meticulously planned heist at the Louvre Museum in Paris, making off with eight priceless pieces of royal jewellery. The audacious theft, which took a mere seven minutes, has left French authorities scrambling to apprehend the perpetrators and recover the stolen treasures. The stolen items include an emerald-and-diamond necklace gifted by Napoleon to his wife, Empress Marie Louise, and a diadem belonging to Empress Eugenie, adorned with nearly 2,000 diamonds. The thieves gained access to the Apollo Gallery, home to the royal collection, using a furniture hoist and cutting equipment to breach a window and open display cases. A brief clip of the raid, captured by a visitor’s phone, was broadcast on French news channels. The museum’s staff intervened, forcing the thieves to flee and abandon some of their equipment. French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez described the incident as a ‘major weak spot’ in the nation’s museum security, reigniting debates over the lack of adequate protection for cultural institutions. The theft has sparked outrage across the political spectrum, with far-right leader Jordan Bardella calling it ‘an unbearable humiliation for our country.’ President Emmanuel Macron assured the public that ‘everything is being done’ to catch the culprits and recover the stolen items. This marks the first major theft from the Louvre since 1998, when a painting by Corot was stolen and never recovered.
How did thieves at Louvre carry out 7-minute heist; 60 investigators hunt for robbers
