A daring and highly organized robbery shook Paris this weekend as a group of thieves raided the Louvre Museum, escaping with Napoleon-era jewels worth millions. The museum, one of the most visited in the world, was immediately evacuated and closed “for exceptional reasons,” while French authorities launched a major investigation into what they are calling a “precision operation.”
A seven-minute operation
French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez confirmed that the heist lasted only seven minutes, saying the suspects used a construction ladder and power tools to break into the museum before cutting through glass panels “with surgical accuracy.”
“This was clearly a team that had conducted reconnaissance in advance,” Nunez said, describing the thieves as “experienced professionals.”
The robbery occurred in the Galerie d’Apollon, a prestigious exhibition hall that houses the French Crown Jewels and some of the museum’s most valuable treasures.
Napoleon’s legacy targeted
According to Le Parisien, the thieves entered through the Seine-facing façade, where construction work provided access points. They reportedly took nine jewellery pieces belonging to Napoleon and Empress Joséphine, vanishing before security could respond.
Police swiftly cordoned off the area, evacuated visitors, and closed nearby streets. No injuries were reported, but museum staff were left in shock.
Echoes of the Mona Lisa theft
The Louvre has a long history of spectacular art thefts—the most famous being the 1911 theft of Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa. The painting was stolen by former employee Vincenzo Peruggia, who hid inside the museum overnight and walked out with the masterpiece under his coat. It was recovered two years later in Florence.
This latest heist is now being described as the Louvre’s most serious breach of security in more than a century, reigniting debates over the protection of cultural heritage in one of the world’s most iconic museums.
