2LT International News

PARIS, France: In a bold, minutes-long strike on October 19, a group of thieves carried out one of the most daring museum robberies in recent memory inside the Louvre — the world’s most-visited museum. Riding a basket lift up the facade facing the Seine River, the crew forced open a window, smashed display cases, and escaped with priceless Napoleonic jewels, officials said. The daylight heist happened just 30 minutes after the museum opened, while visitors were already inside.

The theft unfolded only about 250 meters (270 yards) from the Mona Lisa, in what French Culture Minister Rachida Dati called a “four-minute professional operation.” The burglars’ speed and precision stunned officials, museum staff, and visitors alike.

Among the stolen treasures were jewels once owned by French empresses and queens — including a sapphire diadem and necklace linked to Marie-Amélie and Hortense, an emerald set from Empress Marie-Louise, and Empress Eugénie’s emerald diadem and corsage-bow brooch. In all, eight objects were taken. One item, Empress Eugénie’s emerald-set imperial crown, containing over 1,300 diamonds, was found broken outside the museum soon after the robbery.

Images from the scene showed startled tourists being ushered out of the glass pyramid and surrounding courtyards while police sealed off nearby streets along the Seine. Officials said the thieves brought their own mobile lift, which they used to reach a second-story window. The fact that such equipment could be brought to the Louvre without detection raised serious questions about the museum’s security.

According to Interior Minister Laurent Nunez, the crew used the lift to access a window on the Seine-facing side of the building at around 9:30 a.m. They cut through glass panes with a disc cutter, entered the hall housing the royal jewelry collection, and smashed two display cases. When alarms went off, museum staff rushed in, forcing the intruders to flee on motorbikes. No one was injured, but the robbers escaped with their haul before police arrived.

The targeted room — the gilded Apollon Gallery — displays France’s famed Crown Diamonds, including the Regent, the Sancy, and the Hortensia. Officials described the theft as a “major robbery” and said it exposed weaknesses in museum security.

The Louvre closed for the rest of the day as forensic teams began their investigation, sealing off courtyards and collecting evidence. Daylight robberies inside major museums are extremely rare. Pulling one off inside the Louvre — and so close to the Mona Lisa — ranks among Europe’s most audacious heists since the 2019 Dresden Green Vault burglary.

The incident also reignited debates about the Louvre’s chronic overcrowding and staff shortages. The museum, welcomes more than 30,000 visitors a day.

Visitors expressed disbelief. “How can they ride a lift to a window and take jewels in the middle of the day?” asked Magali Cunel, a French teacher from Lyon. “It’s unbelievable that a museum this famous can have such obvious security gaps.”

The Louvre has a long history of thefts — the most famous being the 1911 disappearance of the Mona Lisa, stolen by Vincenzo Peruggia and recovered two years later in Florence. The latest robbery, however, carries political weight. Far-right leader Jordan Bardella blamed President Emmanuel Macron, calling it “an unbearable humiliation for France.”

The heist comes as Macron promotes his 700 euros million “Louvre New Renaissance” plan to modernize infrastructure and ease crowding by 2031. For now, police are scouring the museum and nearby areas, calling the stolen jewels “of inestimable historical value.”

But experts warn that recovery is unlikely. “Professional crews often break down or re-cut large, recognizable stones to erase their history,” said Tobias Kormind of 77 Diamonds. “These jewels may never be seen again.”