In a daring museum heist, the Louvre Museum in Paris was robbed of several priceless jewels in broad daylight last Sunday. The thieves, using only seven minutes, managed to make off with a number of valuable items. Authorities in Paris disclosed on Monday that they are investigating all leads and suspect that the robbers may have either been commissioned by private collectors or were acting to launder criminal proceeds.
The thieves, with faces covered, infiltrated the museum on Sunday morning while visitors and staff were present. They disguised themselves as construction workers, used a pulley basket to ascend to a window, and smashed it open with an angle grinder. Subsequently, they used a circular cutter to breach the glass panel protecting the jewels and carried out the robbery.
Following the incident, a total of nine items were targeted, with eight being stolen. Among the stolen treasures was a crown belonging to Empress Eugenie, wife of Napoleon III, which the thieves dropped and left behind while making their escape. This crown is valued at millions of euros.
The thieves fled the scene on motorcycles after successfully obtaining the stolen goods.
Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau stated on Monday that authorities are investigating based on the assumption of “organized crime,” suspecting that the thieves might have been contracted by private collectors or were involved in money laundering. She expressed concern that if the thieves were acting independently, the jewels could be melted down and the precious metals sold. Currently, investigators are analyzing any liquids and equipment left behind at the scene.
Former jewel thief Larry Lawton is currently assisting the police in their investigation. In an interview with Fox News, he asserted that this operation “was definitely an inside job,” suggesting that the thieves must have had insider information.
Lawton questioned how the thieves were familiar with details such as the “thickness of the glass” on the display cases or the “alarm system settings.”
Regarding the stolen treasures, Lawton believes that the thieves are unlikely to sell them immediately. Instead, they will likely hide the items and then “wait a year or two” because museums ultimately offer “millions of dollars in rewards with no questions asked” for the return of the stolen jewels.
The Louvre Museum announced on Monday that it would be closed to the public for further investigation. Authorities have already ruled out the possibility of foreign intervention.