A group of masked thieves broke into the famous Louvre museum in Paris using chainsaws and stole several pieces of “precious jewels”.
French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said the group entered the museum using a large mechanized extendable ladder mounted on a truck, similar to a cherry picker, and used a small chainsaw to break the windows.
The robbery reportedly took place at 9:30 am local time and lasted for several minutes.
A group of three or four thieves entered the Galerie d’Apollon, which houses the remains of France’s crown jewels, using a scooter to escape with nine pieces of jewelry, reports said.
The stolen pieces are reported to have belonged to Napoleon and Queen Marie-Louise.
A piece of jewelry was found after the robbers fled, according to French Culture Minister Rachida Dotti. It is said that the piece left behind was the queen’s crown.
Media Le Parisien, It reported Minister Núñez’s remarks on the France Inter radio station about a “big theft”.
He told the station that the incident lasted seven minutes and “people came in with a cherry picker” and stole “precious jewellery”.
He added that it was “clearly a team that was searching the building”.
The ministry later said the exact value of the stolen items was being gathered, but described them as items of “inestimable” historical value.
A piece of jewelry was found during the escape of the criminals, French culture minister Rachida Dotti told French TV channel TF1.
The Paris Public Prosecutor’s Office has also confirmed that it has opened an investigation into the suspect of “organized theft and criminal conspiracy to commit a crime”.
It said there had been a “jewel theft” at the Louvre and that the investigation was being supported by an investigative service that fights the illegal trafficking of cultural goods.
“The damage is currently being assessed,” the prosecutor’s office said. He added: The investigation is ongoing.
French culture minister Rachida Dotti posted on social networking site X on Sunday morning: “A robbery took place this morning at the opening of the @MuseeLouvre. No injuries reported. I am on site with the museum and police teams. Investigations are ongoing.”
Members of the public were evacuated from the Louvre this morning. According to the BBC, French police have blocked access to the Louvre, including a main road along the river bank in front of it.
The museum announced on social networks on Sunday morning that it will be closed on this day due to exceptional reasons.
Videos of the evacuation scenes have been released showing tourists leaving the museum and surrounding courtyards.
A person posted a video on X of security guards inside the building, behind locked gates.
The Galerie d’Apollon, where the robbery took place, contains the remains of the French royal jewels under a ceiling painted by the court artist of King Louis XIV.
The Louvre Museum is home to some of the most iconic works of art in history, best known for having Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, and attracts millions of visitors every year.
