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In a daring seven-minute raid Sunday morning, thieves stole “priceless” jewelry from the Louvre Museum, French officials said, marking one of the most audacious art crimes in decades.
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said the robbers, believed to be three or four people, entered the museum’s Apollo Room using a furniture elevator mounted on a truck. The room houses France’s Crown Jewels and other treasures once belonging to Louis XIV.
The suspects forced open a window with an angle grinder around 9:30 a.m. local time, stole several historic pieces, and fled on motorcycles, authorities said. One item was later recovered nearby and is being examined.
“These jewels have sentimental value and are priceless,” Nuñez told France Inter radio. He added that the theft appeared highly organized, with the team “acting very, very quickly.”
No one was injured, and visitors were evacuated safely. The Louvre closed for the day to preserve evidence, officials said.
Culture Minister Rachida Dati and Paris Center Mayor Ariel Weil both visited the scene. Weil noted he couldn’t recall such a theft at the Louvre since the 1911 “Mona Lisa” heist.
The Louvre, the world’s most-visited museum with 8.7 million visitors last year, called the closure an “exceptional measure.” Investigations are ongoing.
With information from BBC.
