Louvre Heist Raises Questions Over Museum Security
4 weeks ago
Thieves broke into France’s Louvre museum and stole priceless jewelry on Sunday from a section of the museum that houses the French crown jewels.
That’s according to the French government, who say the thieves pulled up outside the Louvre on Sunday morning used a crane to smash an upstairs window and then escaped by motorbike.
Authorities have yet to say what pieces were stolen.
France’s Culture Minister Rachida Dati told TV network TF1 it all took around four minutes.
“We have to say that these are professionals. Organized crime today targets objects of art, and museums of course have become targets, because France, as you know, is a country of heritage, a country with historical objects of heritage with great value."
A video shot by a museum guide showed visitors filing to the exits, seemingly unaware of the heist.
Dati said no injuries were reported and that one piece of jewelry had been found outside the museum.
Newspaper Le Parisien said it was believed to be the crown of Napoleon III's wife, Empress Eugenie, and that it was broken.
France’s interior minister said a specialized police unit that has a high success rate in cracking high-profile robberies has been tasked with investigating the heist.
The theft is likely to raise some awkward questions about security at the museum.
Earlier this year, the Louvre, which is the world’s most visited museum, requested urgent help from the French government to renovate its aging halls and protect its art.
The Louvre is home to the Mona Lisa, itself the target of a daring heist in 1911.
That involved a former employee who was eventually caught with the painting returned two years later.
That’s according to the French government, who say the thieves pulled up outside the Louvre on Sunday morning used a crane to smash an upstairs window and then escaped by motorbike.
Authorities have yet to say what pieces were stolen.
France’s Culture Minister Rachida Dati told TV network TF1 it all took around four minutes.
“We have to say that these are professionals. Organized crime today targets objects of art, and museums of course have become targets, because France, as you know, is a country of heritage, a country with historical objects of heritage with great value."
A video shot by a museum guide showed visitors filing to the exits, seemingly unaware of the heist.
Dati said no injuries were reported and that one piece of jewelry had been found outside the museum.
Newspaper Le Parisien said it was believed to be the crown of Napoleon III's wife, Empress Eugenie, and that it was broken.
France’s interior minister said a specialized police unit that has a high success rate in cracking high-profile robberies has been tasked with investigating the heist.
The theft is likely to raise some awkward questions about security at the museum.
Earlier this year, the Louvre, which is the world’s most visited museum, requested urgent help from the French government to renovate its aging halls and protect its art.
The Louvre is home to the Mona Lisa, itself the target of a daring heist in 1911.
That involved a former employee who was eventually caught with the painting returned two years later.
