The Louvre Museum Robbery: Thieves steal priceless jewelry in a seven-minute raid

Thieves have stolen ‘priceless’ jewelry from the Louvre Museum in Paris in a daring raid on Sunday, the French interior minister has declared. The Louvre Museum is the world’s most-visited museum, has been forced to close for the day after Napolean-era jewels were stolen from this iconic museum.

The thieves have stolen the world’s most historical artefacts, including the Mona Lisa. The thieves have entered the museum using a hydraulic ladder and made away with priceless jewelry. The French interior minister called it a ‘major robbery’.

The Louvre Museum robbery took place around 9:30 am, and the trespassers entered through the under-construction Seine-facing facade. The intruders used a hydraulic ladder to reach the Apollo gallery, as reported by the French daily Le Parisien.

The Apollo Gallery was equipped with a selection of the French Crown Jewels on display at that time. The thieves cut the windowpanes using a disc cutter, Nunez said. He said that the entire operation lasted for seven minutes. 

As per Le Parisien, the thieves made away with nine pieces from the jewelry collection of Napoleon and the Empress. It further said that one stolen jewelry was later found outside the museum.

The museum’s alarm sounded, and staff followed protocol, and they contacted the security forces immediately. 

The robbers tried to set fire to their vehicle outside the museum, but it was rescued by the intervention of the museum staff.

The Culture Minister, Rachida Dati, added that the video footage of the robbery showed the masked robbers entering calmly and smashing display cases containing the jewels. 

The iconic Louvre Museum has yet to comment on this incident, and it has cited some exceptional reasons for the closure of the venue. 

France’s Culture Minister is the first who report the robbery this morning. She said no injury had taken place, adding that she was present at the spot with museum staff and police. She added that the robbers are seemingly “experienced’ with a well-prepared plan to flee on two scooters.

The Paris Prosecutor’s Office has opened an investigation, and they are currently assessing the damage.

The Louvre Museum draws up to 30,000 visitors a day, and the top attraction of the museum is the Mona Lisa. Mona Lisa is the world’s best-known artwork, along with the Venus de Milo and Winged Victory of Samothrace.

The Louvre has faced multiple thefts and robberies in the past few years. The last notable theft happened in 1983, when two Renaissance-era armours were missing from the museum. However, the stolen pieces of armour were later recovered in 2021.