As alarms sounded at the Louvre Museum on Sunday morning, four suspects made a swift escape on two motorbikes, weaving through central Paris. They allegedly carried with them a haul of “priceless” jewelry once worn by queens, crafted from sapphires, diamonds, and emeralds. The suspects have not yet been apprehended.
About 24 hours after the daring theft — which occurred during daylight hours at the world’s most-visited museum — a manhunt and investigation are in full swing, according to state and law enforcement officials.
**A National Heritage Under Attack**
“The theft committed at the Louvre is an attack on a heritage that we cherish because it is our history,” President Emmanuel Macron said on social media Sunday. He and other French officials pledged that the stolen pieces would be recovered and the suspects brought to justice.
The museum was closed Sunday morning as police swarmed the area searching for suspects and collecting evidence.
“Following yesterday’s robbery at the Louvre, the museum regrets to inform you that it will remain closed to the public today,” officials announced on social media Monday. “Visitors who have already booked tickets will be refunded.”
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**A Quick, Calculated Heist**
Authorities described how the suspects arrived in pairs: two in a truck and two on motorbikes. The truck was equipped with a moving ladder — a “mobile freight elevator” similar to those used by city furniture movers, according to Paris police.
The suspects reportedly parked the truck along a road near the Seine, next to the museum. Dressed in yellow vests resembling construction workers, they took deliberate steps to secure the area by placing orange construction cones around the truck.
Using the ladder, the thieves climbed to the second floor, accessing a narrow balcony outside the museum’s Apollo Gallery. This gallery housed some of the French crown jewels, police said.
They used an angle grinder to open a window and entered the museum through it, triggering the alarm, which was still sounding as they fled.
Inside, they smashed two display cases containing the “Napoleon jewels” and the “French crown jewels,” using the angle grinder to break the glass. Police confirmed the suspects stole numerous pieces of high-value jewelry.
The entire operation lasted just seven minutes, authorities said.
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**Stolen Treasures of Inestimable Value**
When the suspects escaped through the same window, they carried nine pieces of jewelry described by France’s interior minister as of “inestimable” value. Culture Minister Rachida Dati called the items “priceless” in interviews with French media.
The French Ministry of Culture detailed some of the missing treasures, which included:
– A diadem (crown) from Queen Marie-Amelie and Queen Hortense’s collection
– An emerald necklace and a pair of emerald earrings from Marie-Louise, Napoleon’s second wife
– A large bow brooch from Empress Eugenie’s bodice
The Paris Prosecutor’s Office revealed the perpetrators attempted, but failed, to set fire to the mobile freight elevator used during the heist before fleeing the scene.
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**A Comprehensive Investigation Underway**
Museum officials confirmed an investigation had been launched into what they termed an “organized theft and criminal conspiracy.”
The Paris Public Prosecutor’s Office is overseeing the case and has assigned the Brigade for the Suppression of Banditry — a specialized unit within the French National Police — to lead the inquiry.
Laure Beccuau, the Paris prosecutor, told a local TV station Sunday that about 60 investigators are dedicated to the case, expressing “total determination” to find the perpetrators.
As of Monday morning, police had not announced any leads on the suspects’ identities. Officials believe the theft was carried out by professionals.
Beccuau described the crime as organized and said authorities have not ruled out foreign involvement but are currently treating it as a domestic case.
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**Officials Pledge Swift Justice**
“Everything is being done to apprehend the perpetrators of this unacceptable act as quickly as possible,” Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said Sunday.
The Louvre Museum and French law enforcement continue their efforts to recover the stolen jewels and bring those responsible to justice. Updates will follow as the investigation progresses.
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*Reporting by ABC News contributors Will Gretsky, Somayeh Malekian, Hugo Leenhardt, Camilla Alcini, Bill Hutchinson, Victoria Beaule, Dragana Jovanovic, and Joe Simonetti.*
https://abc30.com/post/louvre-jewel-heist-manhunt-underway-4-suspects-priceless-jewelry-paris-stolen/18043128/
