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Sun 18:52
Video allegedly shows Louvre thieves – politician criticizes heavily
A video is circulating on social media that purports to show the Louvre thieves clearing out the display cases. The footage shows a man wearing a yellow safety vest fiddling with one of the display cases. This is consistent with the authorities' claim that the perpetrators disguised themselves as workers and left such a yellow vest behind as they fled.
Matthieu Valet, a French politician and member of the European Parliament, shared shocking images on X (formerly Twitter): No alarm, no security personnel anywhere in sight. The thief acted undisturbed among the visitors for seven minutes. Everyone was filming, but did anyone even call the police?
The fact that the thieves managed to escape in broad daylight in the middle of Paris also caused outrage among other French politicians and art connoisseurs.
October 19, 2025
Sun 16:46
Will be difficult to resell this
Cyrill Koller, Managing Director of Koller Auctions, said in response to a query:"Because these are very famous pieces, it would be very difficult to resell them without being recognized at some point. In the past, thieves often dismantled famous jewels, sold the individual pieces, and melted down the precious metals."
You can find out more about stolen goods and the precautions auction houses take when dealing with stolen goods here.
October 19, 2025
Sun 16:23
Police find equipment
According to information from Le Parisien, police found two angle grinders, a welding torch, gasoline, gloves, a walkie-talkie, a blanket, and a crown during their visit to the crime scene. A little further away, a yellow vest was found, which the perpetrators wore to identify themselves as workers. It was lost during their escape.
October 19, 2025
Sun 15:29
Have you melted down your jewelry yet?
The big question is whether the jewelry was melted down hours after the break-in to resell the gold. The risk is that some diamonds could be sold commercially, which would make reconstructing the jewelry very difficult, a person familiar with the investigation told Parisien. (DPA)
October 19, 2025
Sun 15:26
Priceless loot
The perpetrators stole jewelry that has inestimable cultural and historical value beyond its market value, according to the Ministry of the Interior and Culture. As the newspaper Le Parisien reported, citing investigators, the thieves are said to have stolen nine pieces from Napoleon's and the Empress's jewelry collection, including a necklace, a brooch, and a tiara. Learn more about the stolen goods here. (DPA)
October 19, 2025
Sun 15:25
Louvre closed for investigation
The museum will remain closed throughout the day. No comment from the museum was immediately available. The Louvre Museum simply stated that the closure was for exceptional reasons. The Louvre is one of the most famous attractions in the French capital and, with almost nine million visitors in 2024, was the most visited museum in the world.
October 19, 2025
Sun 15:23
Nine pieces of jewelry stolen
The thieves stole nine pieces of jewelry from Napoleon and the Empress's collection, including a necklace, a brooch, and a tiara. According to an internal Louvre source, the famous Régent, the collection's largest diamond at over 140 carats, was not stolen. The damage is still being assessed.
According to information available to the Parisien, one of the stolen pieces of jewelry was found outside the museum. It is believed to be the crown of Empress Eugénie, which apparently broke during the theft.
October 19, 2025
Sun 15:23
Robbery in the Louvre
A robbery occurred at the world-famous Louvre Museum in Paris on Sunday. This morning, the robbery occurred during the opening of the Louvre Museum, Culture Minister Rachida Dati announced on the online service X. No one was injured. The perpetrators fled with stolen jewelry, according to information provided to the AFP news agency by sources close to the minister.
Dati further explained to TF1 that no violence was used during the robbery and that the perpetrators only needed four minutes. They're professionals, the minister told TF1. She'd seen video surveillance footage. They don't attack anyone; they just walk in calmly. Of course, in four minutes, they destroy display cases, take their loot, and disappear without any violence.
