Hunt for 4 thieves underway as French police list out 8 items stolen from the Louvre

The French police continue with their hunt for four suspects who carried out a professional daylight heist at the Louvre. The thieves, who are still on the run, broke into one of the museum’s most ornate rooms and escaped with eight pieces of “priceless” historic jewellery. These included the necklace gifted by Napoleon to his wife.

The world’s most famous museum shut down for the day on Sunday after the break-in. The suspects targeted pieces in two glass cases in the Apollon gallery, where the French crown jewels were held. A crown worn in the 19th century by Empress Eugénie, the wife of Napoleon III, was found broken near the museum after the thieves fled.

The historic crown featured golden eagles and is covered in 1,354 diamonds and 56 emeralds. The French culture ministry eventually listed eight items that were stolen during the heist. Some of the prominent jewels stolen included a sapphire necklace and sapphire earrings worn by Napoleon’s stepdaughter, Hortense, who became the queen of Holland, and which were also worn by the 19th-century queen Marie Amélie.

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French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez visited the scene soon after the incident. Nuñez later told France Inter radio that “priceless” jewels of unmeasurable heritage value” were stolen after what was clearly a well-organised raid. As per the report by multiple French outlets, the thieves struck the museum at 9:30 am (local time) on Sunday and took seven minutes to complete the heist. “They stole jewels which have a real heritage value, an inestimable heritage value," Nuñez said.

How it happened

The thieves approached the building from the outside, where construction was taking place. According to The Guardian, a truck and a basket lift were used to access the museum. They later used an angle grinder and power tools to break windows and enter. Nuñez said it was the work of “an experienced team who had clearly scouted the location”.

He noted that three or four suspects fled from the location, and their route was known to the authorities. The police are now investigating whether it was a gang known to them for other crimes, and are studying every security camera.

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It is pertinent to note that the gilded Apollon gallery of the Louvre, the ornate decoration of which was commissioned by the Sun King, Louis XIV, has a collection of historic crowns, diadems and sovereign jewellery. It is touted as one of the museum’s most spectacular rooms. The pieces usually on display there include three historic diamonds, the Regent, the Sancy and the Hortensia.

As the search for the thieves continues, Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau said the suspects did not target or steal the world-famous Regent diamond kept in the same gallery. Meanwhile, Nuñez said the museum was evacuated to preserve evidence and to allow investigators and forensics teams to carry out their work. He later wrote on social media: “Targeting the Louvre is targeting our history and our heritage.”

The Paris prosecutor has opened an inquiry into the theft, and work is underway to estimate the exact value of the stolen pieces. The culture ministry noted that the alarms went off when the display cases were opened, and museum security guards intervened and called the police. However, the thieves fled, leaving their equipment behind them.

The French culture minister, Rachida Dati, was the first to announce the incident. “A robbery took place this morning at the opening of the Louvre museum,” she wrote on social media. She used the French word braquage, which can mean robbery or hold-up. She added: “No injuries reported. I’m on site with museum staff and police.”

Dati later confirmed that one stolen piece of jewellery was recovered outside the museum where the thieves had fled. The Louvre soon announced that it was closing for the day “for exceptional reasons”, without providing further details on what had been stolen.

“The theft committed at the Louvre is an attack on a heritage that we cherish because it is our History. We will recover the works, and the perpetrators will be brought to justice," French President Emmanuel Macron wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. In January, it was Macron who announced a big renovation of the museum after its director said that visiting the overcrowded building had become a “physical ordeal”.