Thieves carried out a brazen daytime heist at the Louvre Museum in Paris on Sunday morning, stealing jewelry worth “inestimable heritage and historical value.” The break-in happened in broad daylight while tourists were already inside the museum. Police sealed the museum gates and visitors were ushered out, with no injuries reported.
The thieves used a basket lift to force open a window, smash display cases, and steal several pieces from the jewelry collection of Napoleon and the Empress. One stolen jewel was later found outside the museum, believed to be Empress Eugénie’s crown. The heist took around seven minutes, described as “a four-minute operation carried out without violence” by Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez.
The museum is working with law enforcement to investigate and recover the stolen items. France’s ministers of culture and interior are also involved in the investigation. Security measures at the museum remain tight, with the Mona Lisa protected by bulletproof glass and a custom high-tech display system.
This latest theft echoes recent European museum raids, including a 2019 heist at Dresden’s Green Vault and a 2017 burglary at Berlin’s Bode Museum. The Louvre has a long history of thefts and attempted robberies, with the most famous incident being the 1911 theft of the Mona Lisa.
The museum attracts over 33,000 visitors daily, drawing crowds from around the world to see its extensive collection of artworks and artifacts. With recent efforts underway to modernize infrastructure and address staffing issues, it remains to be seen whether these measures will improve security at the iconic museum.
Source: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/thieves-broke-into-louvre-museum-paris-stolen-jewelry