Octave Durham, as an expert on thefts, comments on the invasion of the Louvre

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The news did not surprise him, even though the burglary occurred in one of the – theoretically – best-guarded museums in the world. There are vulnerabilities everywhere, says Dutch former burglar Octave Durham, who in 2002 snatched two Van Gogh paintings from the eponymous museum in Amsterdam, about the theft at the Louvre. The perpetrators will manage to break in anywhere. The point is to delay them, not to make off quickly with the stolen goods.

Since Sunday morning, Durham has been receiving calls from journalists from all over the world to comment, as an informal expert, on the great theft at the Louvre. They seem professional, but they also made mistakes, he says in a telephone conversation with K. They abandoned tools and equipment that may have traces of their DNA on them. They were unable to burn the lifting machine they used.

Young age

He estimates that the perpetrators are young and athletic. He rules out, as he emphasizes, that they are 50-somethings. He is not surprised by the day or the time at which they struck, Sunday morning, about 30 minutes after the museum had welcomed the first visitors. Paris is still asleep at that time and the authorities are not as alert, as it was preceded by Saturday night, which usually requires more intense policing, he explains. He remembers the Netflix series about Arsène Lupin and the popularity it gained, despite the script weaknesses – according to him –. It is a shame that this has now happened in reality, he points out.

Two decades ago, in December 2002, Durham, armed with a sledgehammer, a rope, and the help of an accomplice, broke into the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam. He wore double-breasted trousers to trap his leg hair and leave no trace, shaved his head, and covered his face. He had even spray-painted the handle of the sledgehammer black to avoid drawing attention.

He and his accomplice stole the paintings View of the Beach at Scheveningen (1882) and Exit from the Church of Noonan (1884). A security guard noticed them and called the police, but the two burglars managed to escape. As Durham later stated, the theft had lasted less than four minutes. It is estimated that the Louvre invaders also remained inside the museum for about the same amount of time. According to another version, their operation lasted seven minutes in total.

They seem professional, but they also made mistakes, he tells K, while he estimates that the perpetrators will attempt to melt the metals of the jewelry and sell the precious stones separately.

At least two of the buyers with whom Durham and his accomplice negotiated the sale of the paintings were murdered before any deal could be made. The paintings were eventually purchased by Italian Camorra mobster Raffaele Imperiale. Durham was arrested for the theft after being identified by a DNA sample from a hat he lost during the burglary. He was convicted and served about 26 months in prison. The paintings were recovered in 2016, when Imperiale informed Italian authorities of their whereabouts, hoping to receive more favorable criminal treatment for other cases pending against him.

Where could the Louvre loot end up now? The case is still hot, underlines K o Durham. It's like having eight bodies in your basement, which obviously no one wants. Which criminal network would want to get involved in this story now? he wonders. He believes that the perpetrators will attempt to melt down the silver and gold, which have recently reached historic prices, and sell the precious stones of the jewelry separately. For this reason, as he emphasizes, the French authorities must hurry as the next few hours are particularly critical. A similar view on the fate of the jewelry has been expressed in statements by the Dutch private detective Arthur Brand, who specializes in searching for stolen works of art.

"It will haunt them forever if they destroy them," Durham notes."Keep them intact, try to sell them as is, that's what I would tell them. Otherwise, a whole country will hate them forever."

Documentary

In recent years, the Dutch former burglar has been participating in documentaries and telling his story. Recently, as he reports in K, he completed similar filming with Japanese television. I also wonder how this burglary happened in one of the most famous museums in the world, he says. Could those responsible for guarding these places make use of my knowledge. Besides, I have the eye of a burglar. I see the weak points, he adds with a laugh.