The Louvre Museum, the world’s most-visited museum, is closed indefinitely following a brazen Sunday morning heist in which thieves stole eight pieces of priceless jewelry from its crown jewels collection. A major manhunt is currently underway across the French capital, Paris for the perpetrators.
According to authorities, the thieves executed a swift and precise operation. They are reported to have used a crane to smash an upstairs window, gained entry to the museum, and made their escape by motorbike. The entire incident lasted approximately four minutes.
France’s Culture Minister, Ratida Dati, confirmed the timeline and the professional nature of the crime in a television interview. “We have to say that these are professionals,” Dati stated. “Organized crime today targets objects of art and museums of course have become targets because France, as you know, is a country of heritage, a country with historical objects of heritage with great value.”
While authorities have not officially released a full list of the stolen items, one piece of jewelry was recovered outside the museum. The French newspaper Le Parisien reported that the recovered item is believed to be the crown of Napoleon III’s wife, Empress Eugénie, and that it was found broken.
Video footage from inside the museum, shot by a guide, showed visitors being calmly evacuated, apparently unaware that a major theft had just occurred. Minister Dati confirmed that no injuries were reported during the incident.
In response to the high-profile robbery, a specialized police unit known for its high success rate in cracking major robberies has been assigned to lead the investigation. The French Interior Minister has tasked this unit with finding the thieves.
The successful heist is expected to raise serious questions about security at the historic museum. Earlier this year, the Louvre had requested urgent financial help from the French government to renovate its aging halls and better protect its art collection.
This is not the first time the Louvre has been the target of a major art theft. The museum was the scene of the infamous 1911 theft of the Mona Lisa, which was stolen by a former employee. The painting was recovered two years later.
