Robbery in Royal Exhibition Room Just Minutes After Opening
Eight Items Stolen, Empress's Diamond Crown Recovered
Museum Closed for the Day Following Theft
A gang of robbers armed with electric saws broke into the Louvre Museum in Paris, France, and stole jewels before fleeing the scene. On the 19th, Yonhap News, citing AFP, AP, and the BBC, reported that four masked individuals entered the world-famous Louvre Museum, a major tourist attraction in Paris, by using a ladder truck, and made off with a collection of jewels.
The crown of Empress Eug?nie de Montijo, wife of Napoleon III, displayed in the Apollo Gallery of the Louvre Museum in Paris, France. On the 19th, a gang of robbers broke into this exhibition hall, stole nine jewels, and fled. Photo by AP Yonhap News
At around 9:30 a.m., just 30 minutes after the museum opened, the gang arrived on scooters. They used a freight lift in a construction area on the Seine River side to climb the museum's exterior wall. After breaking in using small electric saws and similar tools, they stole nine high-value pieces of jewelry, including crowns belonging to Napoleon and the empress, necklaces, and brooches, before making their escape.
According to French media, one of the jewels dropped by the perpetrators was the crown of Empress Eug?nie, wife of Emperor Napoleon III, which was found damaged. According to the Louvre's website, this crown is adorned with 1,354 diamonds and 56 emeralds. The French Ministry of Culture stated that eight of the treasures stolen from the Apollo Gallery are invaluable cultural heritage items. The stolen pieces include an emerald and diamond necklace gifted by Napoleon I to his wife Empress Marie Louise, the crown and brooch of Empress Eug?nie, wife of Napoleon III, and sapphire necklaces associated with Queen Marie Amelie and Queen Hortense from the 18th century.
Laure Beccuau, the Paris public prosecutor, told BFM TV that authorities are pursuing the four individuals who stole the jewels. She also stated that the gang stole nine pieces of jewelry, one of which was recovered near the scene of the crime. Beccuau explained that the perpetrators used a ladder truck to scale the exterior wall on the Seine side and then fled on electric scooters after the theft. Major international media outlets published photos showing a ladder, believed to have been used in the crime, spanning the second floor of the museum.
Closures and Congestion Inside and Outside the Louvre as Visitors Evacuated
The perpetrators are also reported to have used electric cutters. The Apollo Gallery, which they targeted, is a lavish exhibition room housing French royal jewelry, located on the Seine River side, just 250 meters away from Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa, which attracts the most visitors. However, the 140-carat Regent Diamond, considered the most famous exhibit in the Apollo Gallery, was not among the stolen items.
The perpetrators are also reported to have used electric cutters. The Apollo Gallery, their target, is a lavish exhibition room housing French royal jewelry, located on the Seine River side, just 250 meters away from Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa, which attracts the most visitors. Photo by AP Yonhap News
Laurent Nunez, Minister of the Interior, told French media that the crime took only seven minutes and that the stolen jewels are priceless. Minister Dati stated that the robbery was carried out in just four minutes. Foreign media highlighted that the daring heist took place during opening hours, just 800 meters from the Paris police headquarters, making it impossible to avoid criticism over security lapses.
The museum was closed for the day. Since the incident occurred after the museum had already opened, visitors who were inside were evacuated, and tourists who were unaware of the closure continued to arrive, resulting in congestion both inside and outside the Louvre. Last year alone, the Louvre Museum attracted 9 million visitors, making it a major tourist destination. The museum houses over 33,000 artifacts and works of art from Mesopotamia, Egypt, and Europe. The Louvre has experienced several thefts and robberies in its history, with the 1911 theft of Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa being the most famous. The painting, stolen by Italian Vincenzo Peruggia, was returned to the Louvre after more than two years, and the incident only increased the Mona Lisa's fame.
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