Telegram co-founder Pavel Durov took a jab at the recent brazen robbery at the Louvre Museum, calling it a sign of France’s decline. His comments came amid reports claiming that the stolen priceless gems may never be recovered, as French experts believe it is highly likely the pieces will be sold for a fraction of their value and smuggled out of France. Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron has vowed to find the thieves and return the stolen jewels to the museum.
‘Not at all surprised by Louvre heist’
“Not at all surprised by the Louvre heist,” Durov wrote on X (formerly Twitter). “It’s another sad sign of the decline of a once great country, where the government has perfected the art of distracting people with phantom threats instead of confronting the real ones.” Earlier Paris prosecutor, Laure Beccuau in a press statement clarified that a group of four criminals broke into the Louvre using a furniture elevator. These robbers targeted the Galerie d’Apollon (Gallery of Apollo) and stole nine pieces of jewelry. In a rush to escape, they dropped the crown of Empress Eugénie, adorned with 1,354 diamonds, which was later found in an damaged state.
According to French investigators, the theft was carried out by professionals. The robbers have not yet been identified, and French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez has ordered authorities to beef up security at museums across the country.
Where are the stolen jewels now?
According to a report from BBC, experts fear that France has already lost much of those stolen gems. Dutch art detective Arthur Brand told the BBC that the jewels could have been broken down into hundreds of parts, sold, and smuggled out of France. “These are not amateurs,” Brand said. “They’ve done this before, they’re confident, and they knew they could get away with it.”
A special investigating team with a strong track record in high-profile thefts has been tasked with solving the case. Authorities think the theft is linked to organised crime, with motives.
According to brand and jewellery historian Carol Woolton, Gold and silver will likely be melted, and the gems will be cut into smaller stones, making them nearly impossible to trace. “The thieves cherry-picked the largest, most flawless stones,” Woolton said, “except for Empress Eugénie’s crown, which was too hot to handle.” This explains why it, along with one other item, was dropped and recovered by authorities.Tobias Kormind, managing director of 77 Diamonds, estimates the total value of the cut-up stones and precious metals could reach £10 million ($13.4m / €11.5m). Larger stones alone could fetch around £500,000 each.
