A daring daylight robbery at the Louvre Museum in Paris has exposed significant security vulnerabilities, leaving French authorities scrambling to recover priceless stolen artifacts. On Sunday morning, four masked thieves executed a meticulously planned heist, using a truck-mounted mechanical lift to access the museum’s Galerie d’Apollon via a balcony overlooking the River Seine. Armed with power tools, the perpetrators cut through glass panes, threatened guards, and smashed display cases to steal eight invaluable jewelry pieces, including a diamond and emerald necklace gifted by Emperor Napoleon to his wife, Empress Marie Louise. The entire operation lasted just seven minutes, during which alarms blared, and museum staff evacuated visitors. Despite immediate intervention by security forces, the thieves escaped on scooters, leaving behind a charred vehicle they attempted to set ablaze. French Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin condemned the incident, stating that the breach has tarnished France’s international image. Experts warn that the stolen items, including crowns and diadems adorned with thousands of diamonds, are at risk of being dismantled, melted down, or smuggled out of the country. Chris Marinello, CEO of Art Recovery International, emphasized the urgency of apprehending the thieves within the next 24 to 48 hours to prevent the irreversible loss of these cultural treasures. The Louvre, one of the world’s most visited museums, now faces scrutiny over its security protocols as authorities race against time to recover the stolen artifacts.