What to Know About the Shocking Louvre Jewelry Heist

Could nan French TV bid Lupin person been prophetic? The show envisioned a heist astatine nan Louvre, an arena that became reality connected nan greeting of October 19, erstwhile a group of master thieves managed to break into nan world-famous Paris museum. In conscionable 7 minutes, they stole a big of priceless French crown jewels.

The heist took spot astatine astir 9:30 americium section time, soon aft nan depository opened to nan public. Using a truck-mounted ladder, nan thieves entered nan Galerie d’Apollon—located successful nan Louvre's Petite Galerie wing—through a second-floor model that they forced unfastened pinch an perspective grinder.

Upon entry, nan robbers smashed unfastened astatine slightest 2 show cases, took nan precious artifacts, and past fled a fewer minutes later connected 2 Yahama scooters, disappearing into postulation and soon turning onto nan highway.

Included successful nan loot, according to French authorities, were 8 crown jewels, almost each from nan precocious Napoleonic era. A ninth item, Empress Eugénie's diamond- and emerald-laden crown, was recovered damaged nearby, evidently dropped by nan fleeing criminals. The thieves did get distant pinch a tiara besides belonging to Napoleon III's wife, successful afloat Empire style, dressed up pinch 212 pearls, 1,998 diamonds, and different 992 rose-cut diamonds. They besides took a front brooch belonging to Empress Eugénie pinch 2,438 diamonds and 196 rose-cut stones. Also successful nan haul is simply a parure—a tiara pinch 24 Ceylon sapphires and 1,083 diamonds, accompanied by a necklace pinch 8 awesome sapphires, much diamonds and golden work, and a pendant earring that belonged to Queen Maria Amalia.

It's difficult to put a number connected what this postulation of jewels is worth; they are not specified luxury items pinch their ain circumstantial value, but alternatively priceless possessions. The literal worth of nan gems, stones, and golden is compounded by their humanities value, not to mention nan truth that they are portion of nan practice of nan French state, which successful itself makes them apt intolerable to waste connected nan accepted market. However, it is imaginable that, arsenic often happens successful this type of theft, nan robbers will disassemble nan artifacts, melt down nan precious metals, recut nan jewels to make them little traceable, and waste them connected nan grey aliases achromatic market, perchance generating tens of millions of euros.

Regardless of its outcome, nan Louvre heist was a skillful operation. Some analysts opportunity nan thieves exploited vulnerabilities successful nan museum's information system, which has for years struggled pinch staffing problems, changeless activity successful progress, and besides expanding unit from nan exorbitant and increasing number of visitors. A nationwide and world manhunt has now begun. At nan infinitesimal location are nary circumstantial suspects, but each disposable images from nan area (including a video that shows 1 of nan thieves astatine work) are evidently being examined.

With each nan surveillance footage and cameras now dispersed everyplace successful nan city, location should beryllium plentifulness of worldly to place imaginable leads. President Emmanuel Macron has powerfully condemned nan incident, and assured that those responsible will soon beryllium brought to justice. Long gone, moreover, are nan days erstwhile Italian decorator Vincenzo Peruggia committed what was until now considered nan top theft successful nan history of nan Louvre: nan daring misappropriation of Leonardo's Mona Lisa, which took spot connected August 21, 1911.

That coating was returned 2 years later; Peruggia attempted to resell it to a Florentine creation trader who past raised nan alarm. Maybe a akin changeable of luck could hap successful this lawsuit arsenic well.

This communicative primitively appeared connected WIRED Italia and has been translated from Italian.