Lightning coup in Paris
Louvre gang lose the empress’s crown while on the run
The coup only lasted four minutes, but the perpetrators fled with jewelry from the Louvre that has "an inestimable cultural and historical value" beyond its market value, according to the Ministry of the Interior and Culture. But during their escape, they lost some of the loot - the crown of Empress Eugénie, of all things!
According to the report, the perpetrators got into the museum at around 9.30 a.m. through a window that they had broken open. Once inside, they stole pieces of jewelry from display cases and fled on two-wheelers.
Jewelry was damaged
As the newspaper "Le Parisien" reported with reference to the investigators, the thieves are said to have taken nine pieces from the jewelry collection of Napoleon and the Empress, including a necklace, a brooch and a tiara.
According to Culture Minister Rachida Dati, the thieves lost one of the pieces of jewelry during their escape - as the "Parisien" has learned, it is said to be the crown of Empress Eugénie, which is also of inestimable value and was also damaged during the action. According to the ministries, a precise list of the stolen items is currently being compiled.
"These are professionals"
The perpetrators did not use violence to break into the Louvre and only needed four minutes to make their getaway, the Culture Minister told TF1.
"They are professionals." She had seen CCTV footage. "They don't attack anyone, they go in very calmly. In four minutes, of course, they destroy display cases, take their loot and disappear without using any violence." Initially, the authorities had spoken of a robbery, but it was a burglary, the minister said in the interview.
Panic in the museum
Panic broke out among the visitors in the museum, reported "Le Parisien". Because doors were probably locked due to the alarm being triggered, visitors were initially unable to get outside. However, according to the two ministries, the evacuation of visitors was carried out without incident. No one was injured. The museum was closed for security reasons and to secure evidence and clues for the investigation.
The perpetrators are said to have fled on two high-powered scooters, reported "Le Parisien". The ministries announced that all means were being used to recover the loot. Culture Minister Dati and the new Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez, who was Paris police chief until a few days ago, were with the investigators at the museum.
Perpetrators allegedly used freight elevator at construction site
As reported by "Le Parisien", the fully masked perpetrators entered the museum via a side of the building facing the Seine, where construction work is currently taking place. They are said to have used a freight elevator to get directly to the desired exhibition room in the Galerie d'Apollon.
After the perpetrators had probably destroyed the windows with a grinder or small chainsaws, two men entered the interior while a third stood guard outside, the media reported.
Most visited museum in the world
The Louvre is the most visited museum in the world. In 2024, almost 9 million people visited the art institution. The museum's collection comprises over 35,000 works of art.
The room with Leonardo da Vinci's world-famous Mona Lisa alone attracts around 20,000 visitors a day. To cope with the influx of visitors, there are strict access restrictions with prescribed visitor routes and zig-zag barriers in front of the most popular exhibits.
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