Louvre heist casts France in ‘deplorable light’, Minister says after daring jewel robbery

Louvre Heist Has Cast France In 'Deplorable' Light, Says Government

The Louvre remained closed for a second consecutive day on Monday as French police continued their hunt for the thieves behind a daring daylight robbery that saw priceless jewels stolen in full view of security cameras.

Interior Minister Laurent Nunez admitted on Sunday that securing the jewels had been a “major weak spot,” revealing that the heist lasted just seven minutes and was likely executed by an experienced, possibly foreign, team. The intervention of museum staff reportedly forced the thieves to abandon some of their tools, the culture ministry said.

Justice Minister Gerard Darmanin has said that the incident has cast France in a “deplorable" light. The opposition leaders, meanwhile, have called the heist a national humiliation.

“Due to exceptional circumstances, the Louvre Museum will remain closed today. Visitors who had booked a tour for today will be refunded," its website said.

According to AFP, citing Paris’s chief prosecutor, four suspects are being pursued by French authorities. A 60-member investigative team has been assigned to the case, with officials suspecting an organized crime group of “foreigners.”

Nine pieces of jewellery were taken, including a crown encrusted with over 1,000 diamonds, which the thieves dropped as they fled. It marked the Louver’s first theft since 1998, when a Camille Corot painting was stolen and never recovered.

The raid has reignited debate over museum security in France, which critics argue remains significantly weaker than that of banks and is increasingly vulnerable to criminals. Last month, gold samples worth $700,000 were stolen from Paris’s Natural History Museum, while two dishes and a vase worth $7.6 million were taken from a museum in Limoges.

How the heist happened

The thieves arrived shortly after the Louvre opened at 9 a.m., parking a truck with an extendable ladder beneath the Apollo Gallery, home to the imperial jewel collection. They climbed up, used cutting tools to enter through a window, and swiftly broke open the display cases.

During their escape, they dropped and damaged the crown of Empress Eugenie, wife of Napoleon III, which was adorned with 1,354 diamonds and 56 emeralds. Eight other items remain missing, including an emerald-and-diamond necklace gifted by Napoleon to Empress Marie-Louise, a diamond diadem belonging to Empress Eugenie, and a sapphire-and-diamond necklace once owned by Queen Marie-Amelie.

“The loot would be impossible to sell on in its current state,” said Alexandre Giquello, president of leading auction house Drouot.