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Sunday, October 19, 2025
Image: Tangopaso.
The Louvre Museum in Paris closed on Sunday after four thieves stole eight valuable jewels from the premises during the mid-morning hours of the day. BBC reported that diadems, necklaces, earrings and brooches were among the items taken. According to the Paris prosecutor’s office, a ninth item was retrieved at the scene.
Power tools were involved. Video evidence showed that a vehicle-mounted ladder was used, as well as a battery-powered disc cutter. The thieves gained access to the Galerie d’Apollon by threatening the museum’s guards, who vacated the premises upon being intercepted. A state of panic ensued among the museum’s visitors.
The thieves unsuccessfully attempted to incinerate their vehicle, but they were thwarted by a museum employee. They reportedly escaped on high-powered scooters.
Art detective Arthur Brand said it was a “race against time” before the stolen jewels are melted down. He was quoted as follows in a statement to Sky News: “These crown jewels are so famous, you just cannot sell them. The only thing they can do is melt the silver and gold down, dismantle the diamonds, try to cut them. That’s the way they will probably disappear forever. […] They [the police] have a week. If they catch the thieves, the stuff might still be there. If it takes longer, the loot is probably gone and dismantled. It’s a race against time.”
No injuries were reported in the incident. Culture Minister Rachida Dati assessed the behavior of the thieves as “very professional” in a statement to French media, and Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said that the heist was over within a matter of minutes.
The incident remains under investigation.
