Louvre Heist: Thieves Steal $100M Worth of Jewels in 7-Minute Raids

Strategic Insights -

New footage has emerged showing the brazen heist at the Louvre, where thieves stole over $100 million worth of jewels in a 7-minute raid. Two men, one wearing a neon vest and another in a motorcycle helmet, were seen making a slow getaway in broad daylight in front of French people. The thieves used a construction lift attached to a stolen truck to reach the second-floor window of the museum and cut through the glass with an angle grinder. They then calmly made their way through the Apollo Gallery, setting off the alarm but only reaching guards focused on visitor safety.

Key Takeaways:

  • The thieves stole over $100 million worth of jewels from the Louvre in a 7-minute raid.
  • The thieves used a construction lift attached to a stolen truck to reach the second-floor window of the museum.
  • They cut through the glass with an angle grinder and made their way through the Apollo Gallery, where they triggered the alarm but only reached guards focused on visitor safety.
  • The thieves tried to set fire to their mobile ladder before fleeing but failed.
  • They accidentally dropped an emerald-set imperial crown containing over 1,300 diamonds.
  • A motorcycle helmet and a glove belonging to one of the thieves were recovered, but none of the suspects has been identified.
  • The heist was captured on video, which has gone viral on social media, and appears to have been filmed from inside the Louvre overlooking the Seine on Sunday.
  • French authorities are hunting four suspects in the robbery.

Statistics:

  • The value of the stolen jewels is over $100 million.
  • The heist took place in 7 minutes.
  • Over 1,300 diamonds were stolen from the emerald-set imperial crown.
  • The construction lift used by the thieves was attached to a stolen truck.
  • The thieves dropped a valuable emerald-set imperial crown during the heist.

Sources:

  • The Telegraph
  • Le Parisien
  • Times of India