Brazen Seven-Minute Heist at the Louvre: Thieves Steal Napoleon’s Jewels Via Construction Lift

In a brazen and meticulously executed operation that lasted a mere seven minutes, a team of thieves successfully penetrated the Louvre Museum in Paris and stole nine invaluable items from the historic jewelry collection of Napoleon and the Empress. The daring, daytime heist forced the closure of the world’s most visited museum and immediately sparked a massive manhunt by French authorities.
The incident, which occurred on Sunday morning shortly after the museum opened, leveraged a critical security vulnerability: a section of the historic building currently undergoing renovation. French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez has called it a “major robbery” and confirmed that the perpetrators, who remain at large, were a “manifestly professional team” that had conducted prior surveillance.
The Lightning-Fast Heist
The robbery was characterized by its speed, efficiency, and audacious method of entry, bypassing the museum’s formidable standard security protocols:
◦ Entry Point: The thieves gained access from the exterior of the building, specifically targeting the Seine-facing facade where construction and renovation work is underway.
◦ The Lift Truck Gateway: The perpetrators utilized a basket lift or freight elevator—installed for the ongoing construction—to reach the targeted area on an upper floor. This allowed them to circumvent ground-level security and gain direct vertical access to the secure wing.
◦ Apollo Gallery Breach: The thieves entered the famed Apollo Gallery, which houses a selection of the French Crown Jewels. They reportedly used a disc cutter or similar tool to smash or cut through display case windows, allowing them to grab the artifacts.
◦ The Getaway: After securing the jewels, the thieves fled the premises, reportedly escaping on a motor scooter in the direction of the A6 motorway.
The lightning-fast operation, which unfolded between approximately 9:30 text{ AM} and 9:40 text{ AM}, resulted in the immediate lockdown of the Louvre, with police sealing gates and evacuating shocked visitors.
Priceless History Stolen, Priceless Diamond Left Behind
The stolen collection consists of nine pieces from the imperial jewelry of Napoleon Bonaparte and Empress Joséphine (or Empress Eugénie), including a necklace, a brooch, and a tiara. French authorities have confirmed that the items are of “inestimable value,” a combination of immense historical significance and high material worth. The total monetary value of the stolen items has not yet been officially disclosed, but the historical and patrimonial loss is irreplaceable.
In a baffling twist to the highly professional heist, the thieves left behind the largest and most famous gem in the emperor’s collection: the 140-carat Regent Diamond. The Regent Diamond, set in the hilt of Napoleon’s sword, remains on display, leading investigators to wonder whether the thieves were targeting smaller, more portable items, were interrupted, or simply missed the massive jewel in their hurried escape.
◦ Partial Recovery: In an odd postscript to the robbery, one of the stolen items—reported to be the broken crown (or diadem) of Napoleon III’s wife, Empress Eugénie—was later found discarded near the museum. This partial, damaged recovery offers police a potential forensic lead but raises questions about the thieves’ immediate priorities or whether they jettisoned the piece as a distraction.
Investigation and Accountability
French Culture Minister Rachida Dati confirmed that an investigation is underway, with police focused on analyzing security camera footage and forensic evidence left at the construction access point. The ease with which a professional team was able to breach the security of the world’s most-visited museum, particularly through an area under renovation, is expected to trigger a major review of security protocols and construction oversight at historic sites across France.
The perpetrators used the cover of construction—a vulnerability that had been repeatedly highlighted by security experts at other major museums—to commit one of the most brazen art heists in the Louvre’s modern history. Police have so far been unable to locate them, and the hunt for the thieves and the remaining eight pieces of imperial jewelry continues.