Louvre Heist Steals €88M Napoleonic Crown Jewels

Paris prosecutors say thieves stole crown jewels worth about €88 million (about $102 million) from the Louvre in a brazen daylight heist shortly after the museum opened. Using a truck-mounted ladder/basket lift to reach the Apollo Gallery, the suspects forced a window and used tools including an angle grinder and blowtorch to smash high-security display cases, then fled on scooters in a matter of minutes. Eight Napoleonic-era objects were taken — diamond, sapphire and emerald sets linked to queens and empresses including Marie‑Amélie, Hortense, Marie‑Louise and Empress Eugénie. Authorities have mobilized roughly 100 investigators, are analyzing fingerprints and video, and say four suspects are being sought; experts warn recovery may be unlikely if the pieces are dismantled or melted. Culture Minister Rachida Dati says the Louvre’s security system “worked,” an administrative inquiry has been opened, and the Apollo Gallery remains closed pending the investigation.