In a brazen and meticulously executed robbery, thieves made off with an estimated €88 million (£76 million) worth of France’s crown jewels from the world-renowned Louvre Museum in Paris. The audacious heist, which unfolded in broad daylight on a Sunday morning, has sent shockwaves through France and the global art and heritage communities, exposing glaring security vulnerabilities in one of the world’s most prestigious cultural institutions. Newly released footage capturing the thieves’ slow-motion escape has only intensified public fascination and concern over the incident.
**The Daring Heist and Escape Caught on Video**
The most recent development in this unfolding drama is a newly authenticated 36-second video showing two of the robbers escaping from the Apollo gallery, where the priceless jewels were kept. The footage, reportedly taken from a window of a nearby museum, reveals the thieves’ carefully planned and slow-motion descent from the gallery. Both men are dressed in black; one wears a fluorescent yellow hi-vis vest, and the other sports a motorcycle helmet. They descend on what appears to be a temporary furniture lift, moving deliberately but steadily.
This lift had brought them down to the Quai François Mitterrand, a street alongside the Seine River, where the gang had stationed their getaway vehicle: a stolen truck equipped with an extendable 30-meter (approximately 90 feet) ladder and a basket lift. This specialized vehicle was instrumental not only in facilitating their escape but also in enabling their initial entry. The ladder and basket lift allowed the thieves to access the first-floor Apollo gallery through a window — a point of entry that has since been scrutinized for its apparent insecurity.
Adding to the tension captured in the video, a voice, believed to be that of a security officer, is heard over a walkie-talkie warning, “The people are on scooters. They’re going to go, they’re going to go.” Moments later, the two men speed away on scooters, disappearing from sight and leaving the museum’s security forces scrambling.
**Inside the Seven-Minute Heist**
Investigators have pieced together the details of the heist, which involved a four-man gang. Two members of the group physically entered the museum, while the others presumably acted as lookouts or getaway drivers. The break-in occurred at approximately 9:30 am, shortly after the Louvre opened its doors to visitors.
The thieves exploited what appears to be a glaring security lapse by smashing through a window that was insufficiently secured. Once inside, they wasted little time, using disc cutters to break into two display cases that housed some of France’s most valuable royal jewelry. French media reports estimate that the entire operation inside the museum lasted less than seven minutes, with the two men inside spending just under four minutes — specifically 3 minutes and 58 seconds — executing their mission.
Among the stolen treasures were eight priceless items, including an emerald and diamond necklace that Napoleon Bonaparte had given to his second wife, Marie Louise, as well as a diadem that once belonged to Empress Eugénie, wife of Napoleon III. These artifacts are not only extraordinarily valuable in monetary terms but also carry immense historical and cultural significance, making their loss a profound blow to French heritage.
**Security Failures and Public Outcry**
In the aftermath of the theft, the Louvre’s security protocols have come under intense scrutiny. The museum, which attracts millions of visitors annually and houses some of the most famous artworks and artifacts in the world, was widely believed to have robust security measures. However, the heist has revealed significant deficiencies, particularly concerning surveillance of the building’s exterior.
Louvre Director Laurence des Cars faced tough questions from French senators in a hearing held just days after the incident. In a candid admission, des Cars described the security measures as a “terrible failure,” openly acknowledging that the surveillance camera coverage of the museum’s vast exterior walls was “highly insufficient.” This shortfall in monitoring allowed the thieves to carry out their sophisticated break-in and escape without triggering immediate alarms or being apprehended on the spot.
The director’s admission has fueled public debate about the adequacy of security at cultural institutions, especially those housing priceless artifacts. Critics argue that the museum should have been equipped with more comprehensive surveillance technology and physical security measures to deter or prevent such an incident.
**Ongoing Investigation and Efforts to Recover the Jewels**
Currently, more than 100 investigators, including specialized police units and heritage crime experts, are involved in the case, working tirelessly to identify and