France’s Louvre Museum was brazenly looted in broad daylight on October 19, with thieves escaping with eight crown jewels worth billions. On Tuesday, a Paris prosecutor estimated the stolen jewellery to be worth €88 million ($102 million), according to the Associated Press. Authorities continue the hunt for the thieves, who fled on two high-powered scooters and vanished within seconds.
Elaine Sciolino, author of Adventures in the Louvre, called the theft “a dagger into the heart of France and French history.”
Stolen Louvre jewels worth $102 million
Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau told French radio station RTL that an estimated valuation of the stolen items was revealed by the museum’s curator. “This sum is indeed spectacular, but we must remember that this damage is economic. But it has nothing parallel or comparable to the historical damage caused by this theft,” she said. Currently, around 100 investigators are involved in the manhunt for the criminals.
A BBC report earlier quoted historians and experts who fear that recovering the jewellery may be extremely difficult, especially if the thieves, believed to be professionals, have already dismantled the pieces to sell the stones or melt down the metals.
Beyond the National upset, people worldwide are criticising the museum’s failed security system, which allowed the heist to be carried out in less than ten minutes. French Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin admitted that the Louvre heist exposed serious security breaches. “One can wonder about the fact that, for example, the windows hadn’t been secured, or that a basket lift was on a public road,” he said on France Inter radio. “What is certain is that we have failed.” He added, “The French people all feel like they’ve been robbed.”
Investigation in progress
The truck used in the robbery could not be destroyed by the thieves, and authorities are examining it for DNA and fingerprints. Investigating officials also found one of the scooters and a helmet that may have been worn by a thief, according to CNN. The thieves brought a truck-mounted ladder, which helped them climb up to the Apollo Gallery through a window. They broke two high-security display cases within 2-3 minutes and carried out the heist in the next 4-5 minutes.
According to the Paris prosecutor’s office, the robbery took just seven minutes. The men, disguised as construction workers wearing yellow jackets, broke a window at 9:34 am and left at 9:38 am.
Among the stolen treasures were: A diamond and sapphire jewellery set, including a tiara and necklace worn by Queen Marie-Amélie and Queen Hortense. It had 24 Ceylon sapphires and 1,083 diamonds. Pieces can be detached and worn as brooches. An emerald necklace and earrings that Napoleon gifted to his second wife, Marie-Louise of Austria, in 1810 were also stolen. It had 32 emeralds and 1,138 diamonds. Eight of the nine items remain missing.
The Louvre remained closed on Tuesday following the robbery but is expected to reopen on Wednesday. The Apollo Gallery, where the heist occurred, will remain closed for further investigation.