Thieves Pull Off Daring Louvre Heist, Make Off With Priceless Jewels

Four thieves are on the run after pulling off a bold heist at the Louvre in Paris, escaping with eight priceless pieces of Napoleonic jewellery.

The gang, disguised as construction workers in bright safety vests, rode a basket lift up the museum’s facade early on Sunday, October 19. They forced their way through a window, smashed two display cases in the Apollon Gallery, and made their getaway in less than four minutes.

Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau said the men covered their faces and fled on powerful scooters before security could stop them. Their main target was the Crown Diamonds collection, home to some of France’s most treasured pieces.

The stolen jewels included a sapphire diadem, a matching necklace and earring linked to French queens Marie-Amélie and Hortense, an emerald necklace and earrings belonging to Empress Marie-Louise, a reliquary brooch, Empress Eugénie’s diadem, and her large corsage-bow brooch.

One item, Empress Eugénie’s crown, was found broken and abandoned near the scene. Investigators believe the thieves may have dropped it while fleeing.

Police recovered a stash of tools left behind — including angle grinders, a blowtorch, a concrete saw, gloves, and a walkie-talkie — all used to pull off the meticulously planned job.

Paris Mayor Ariel Weil likened the heist to something out of an “Arsène Lupin” story, expressing shock at how easily the gang managed to breach one of the world’s most famous museums.

The Louvre has been shut down for the day as authorities hunt for the suspects and piece together how the thieves pulled off one of France’s most audacious burglaries. The museum, which houses iconic works like the Mona Lisa and Venus de Milo, called the closure “exceptional.”