A major robbery occurred at the renowned Louvre Museum in Paris on Sunday, prompting the museum’s closure for the day. The thieves reportedly gained entry through an area under construction, slicing through a window and stealing several pieces of jewellery in just seven minutes.
France’s Culture Minister, Rachida Dati, confirmed the incident on X, stating that a robbery had taken place that morning. She also noted that no injuries had been reported.
How The Robbery Took Place?
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez described the incident as a “major robbery,” explaining that the intruders accessed the museum from the outside using a basket lift. According to Nuñez, the criminals, clearly familiar with the site, used a disc cutter to breach the glass panes and carried out the heist with precision.
The group entered the world-famous museum via the Seine-facing façade, currently under construction, and used a freight elevator to reach the Apollo Gallery, their target. The robbery took place around 9:30 a.m., after the museum had already opened to visitors.
Reports suggest that the thieves used a disc cutter and possibly a “floppy disk” to cut through the windows before making off with the jewellery, escaping on two-wheelers. Forensic teams are now investigating the scene, and authorities are working on a detailed inventory of the stolen items.
Several pieces from the Napoleon collection were taken, with Nuñez calling the stolen jewellery “priceless.” The thieves targeted two vitrines in the Galerie d’Apollon, which houses part of the French Crown Jewels. According to Le Parisien, nine pieces were stolen, believed to be from the collections of Napoleon and Empress Eugénie. One piece, reportedly the Empress’s crown, was later discovered broken outside the museum.
The Louvre has experienced attempted thefts in the past, the most infamous being the 1911 Mona Lisa heist. The painting was taken by Vincenzo Peruggia, a former employee who hid inside the museum and smuggled it out under his coat. It was recovered two years later in Florence.
Following Sunday’s robbery, the museum was closed to the public, citing “exceptional reasons.” Police have since sealed off the site and evacuated all visitors.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: ZEE News
