Over the weekend, the world’s most visited museum experienced an incident reminiscent of a “James Bond” film.
The Louvre, in Paris, home to Leonardo da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa,” was robbed by four thieves on Sunday morning in its Apollo Gallery, where some of France’s most prized jewels and other royal artifacts are displayed.
At 9:30 a.m. on Sunday, masked thieves disguised as construction workers used a basket lift to reach the windows of the gallery, where they used an angle grinder to break through and reportedly used a disc cutter to reach the jewels in their casings — all in just seven minutes. The suspects then fled on motorcycles.
Former jewel thief Larry Lawton told Fox News that the heist “had to be an inside job, or inside information.” Lawton, who now works with law enforcement on these kinds of investigations, also noted that the thieves could do a few things with the precious artifacts:
- Break down the jewels and sell them separately.
- Hide them and wait for an insurance reward.
- Sell the items whole to a foreign government or art collector.
Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau said that as the investigation is ongoing, all motives remain on the table, per CNN.
Meanwhile, the famed museum remained closed to tourists on Monday.
About the theft
Eight of the nine items that seemed to be targeted are not accounted for.
The crown of Empress Eugénie, the wife of Napoleon III, was found damaged, but it is unclear whether it was purposely left behind or not.
The following items were confirmed stolen:
- A tiara, necklace and a single earring from a set that belonged to Queen Marie-Amelie and Queen Hortense.
- An emerald necklace and a pair of emerald earrings from the Empress Marie Louise set.
- A brooch known as the “reliquary brooch.”
- A tiara belonging to Empress Eugenie.
- A large corsage bow brooch of Empress Eugenie.
French President Emmanuel Macron posted on social media that the robbery was “an attack on a heritage that we cherish because it is our History.”
He continued, “We will recover the works, and the perpetrators will be brought to justice. Everything is being done, everywhere, to achieve this, under the leadership of the Paris prosecutor’s office.”
A robbery hasn’t been attempted at the Louvre since 1911, when the “Mona Lisa” was taken by a former museum employee.