In a daring heist that lasted less than eight minutes, thieves made off with an astonishing 88 million euros ($102 million) worth of crown jewels from the renowned Louvre museum in Paris, leaving the world in shock.
French authorities revealed how the thieves strategically ascended the Louvre’s facade using a stolen basket lift, broke into the museum through a window, swiftly smashed display cases, and absconded on a Sunday morning.
Here’s a breakdown of the chronology:
On October 10th, the thieves cunningly acquired a basket lift under false pretenses after coercing a company in Louvres, near Paris, to hand it over without resorting to violence. This deceptive tactic raised suspicions regarding the timing and intentions of the theft.
Fast forward to October 19th, 9 a.m., the Louvre opened its doors to visitors. By 9:30 a.m., disguised as renovation workers, the thieves parked a truck with a freight lift at the Louvre’s entrance on Quai François Mitterrand. Scaling a ladder, they accessed a balcony, used a disc cutter to open a window, and swiftly infiltrated the Apollo gallery.
At 9:34 a.m., amidst the hustle and bustle of the museum, the thieves shattered two display cases using disc cutters and snatched the precious jewels. The security alarm was activated, prompting a swift evacuation of visitors for safety.
By 9:38 a.m., the thieves exited through the same window, met accomplices on scooters waiting on the east side, and fled the scene, leaving behind construction gear. Security officers intervened to prevent further damage.
Culture Minister Rachida Dati confirmed the robbery on social media by 10:34 a.m., while later in the day, authorities located the emerald-set imperial crown of Empress Eugénie outside the museum. Unfortunately, the thieves managed to escape with eight other priceless artifacts.
On October 22nd, the Louvre reopened its doors as investigators, including around 100 officials and forensic experts, delved into surveillance footage and analyzed evidence collected from the scene.