Louvre Heist Steals €88M in Napoleonic Jewels

Four masked thieves used a truck-fitted basket lift to reach a balcony of the Louvre’s Apollo Gallery and stole eight Napoleonic and royal jewels valued at roughly €88 million in a brazen daylight raid that lasted only minutes. Video and eyewitnesses say the gang forced a window, used power tools to smash display cases and fled on scooters, while parts of the museum reportedly lacked CCTV coverage and the main alarm failed. The Louvre briefly closed, deployed about 100 investigators and listed the missing items on Interpol’s stolen-art database as inquiries continue. The lift equipment used has been linked to German manufacturer Böcker. Two companies — Böcker and Indian adhesive brand Fevicol — ran tongue-in-cheek social-media campaigns referencing the heist that drew widespread online attention. French authorities continue to investigate and seek arrests and recovery of the jewels.