In brief
In a daring heist reminiscent of past artistic thefts, a gang infiltrated the Louvre Museum's Apollo Gallery and stole eight items, including significant royal jewels associated with Empress Eugenie and Marie-Louise. The incident has sparked immediate scrutiny over the museum's security measures, calling for heightened vigilance against criminal activities targeting cultural heritage. Utilizing a truck to access security weaknesses, the thieves executed their plan in under ten minutes. While some stolen items were quickly recovered, the heist emphasizes concerns about the safety of invaluable art collections amidst a rise in targeted robberies.
It is the most spectacular robbery at the Louvre museum since the Mona Lisa disappeared in 1911.
And it poses serious questions about levels of security covering French artworks, at a time when they are increasingly being targeted by criminal gangs.
According to France's new interior minister Laurent Nuñez, the gang that broke into the Apollo Gallery on Sunday morning was clearly professional.
They knew what they wanted, had evidently cased the joint in advance, had a brazenly simple but effective modus operandi, and needed no more than seven minutes to take their booty and get away.
In a truck equipped with an elevating platform of the type used by removal companies, they parked on the street outside, raised themselves up to the first floor, then used a disc-cutter to enter through a window.
Inside the richly decorated gallery they made for two display-cases which contain what remains of the French crown jewels.
According to the authorities, eight items were taken including diadems, necklaces, earrings, and brooches that had belonged to notable French figures of the past. A crown of the empress Eugénie was recovered damaged near the museum after the thieves seemingly dropped it.
The heist has exposed vulnerabilities within the Louvre, a museum renowned for its security, leading to calls for enhanced protective measures as art thefts rise across France.
We are well aware that French museums are vulnerable, said Nuñez, highlighting the need for vigilance against potential threats to art and culture.
