France has experienced one of the most mind-blowing museum heists in history. On Oct. 19th, the Louvre was robbed by four suspects in broad daylight. Interpol has informed the French public that the stolen items are the jewels of Empress Eugenie and Empress Marie-Louise. The Paris museum is now on high alert as police continue their investigation at the scene.
The 7-Minute Louvre Heist
CNN reported the ongoing investigation at the Louvre’s entrance after the robbery happened at 9:30 AM. According to Paris Senior Correspondent Melissa Bell, the jewelry heist occurred within 7 minutes. Investigators have gathered evidence of what the suspects used to infiltrate the historic museum.
The robbers accessed the 1st floor window with a ladder lift truck. Underneath the vehicle is an angle grinder that was used to cut the glass pane. And finally, a blowtorch and gasoline were found next to the vehicle. Investigators believe the suspects wanted to erase evidence of the vehicle. French news outlet BFMTV later shared footage of one of the suspects wearing a construction vest and a ski mask over their head.
Interpol traced the raid to the Gallerie d’Apollon (Gallery of Apollo). After two of the robbers entered, they threatened the Louvre guards with their power tools. They successfully stole the crown jewels of 19th-century French empresses. No one was injured as the thieves made their getaway by scooter.
An Arsene Lupin Plan
Two days after the heist occurred, most French authorities compared it to Netflix’s 2021 thriller, Lupin. The series retold the story of the fictional cunning master thief in modern times. What surprised the nation was that Lupin’s first episode involved the Louvre. Protagonist Assane Diop disguised himself as an auctioneer to steal a valuable diamond necklace from the museum.
The mayor of Paris Centre, Ariel Weil, even commented on the 4-year-old script that predicted the robbery. He said, “It’s a shock. It’s clear we are dealing with Arséne Lupin. It’s been a movie script up until now. It’s hard to imagine that it’s been easy to burglarize the Louvre.”
French Financial Senator Natalie Goulet felt embarrassed by the museum’s security. She told the nation, “We are all disappointed and angry. It’s difficult to understand why it happened so easily.”
Both Weil and Goulet have the right to wonder about the museum security’s inadequacies. Two other Paris museums suffered from robberies with similar modus operandi. The Cognacq-Jay was the scene of a four-person heist in November 2024. The thieves broke the display cases with baseball bats and axes. In September of 2025, a group of criminals used angle grinders at the capital’s Natural History Museum.
The Louvre Lupins were well-equipped for the operation. Gloves, walkie-talkies, and a blanket were also found. Investigators have ruled out that organized crime was involved in the heist. The criminals even found the museum’s blind spot in its surveillance. The Gallerie d’Apollon is one of three exhibit rooms that do not have a CCTV camera installed.
The Museum is Under Heavy Security
The Louvre will be temporarily closed until the Interpol investigation is complete and damages are repaired. French Culture Minister Rachida Dati informed ABC that she is requesting that a nearby Paris police station cooperate with museum security. She expects the priceless artworks, including Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, could be the next stolen artifacts.
Dutch Art Detective Arthur Brand believes it may be impossible to retrieve the crown jewels. He explained to the BBC that the thieves could either hold them for ransom money or separate the encrusted gems.
Jewelry historian Carol Woolton supports the detective’s theory. “The flawless stones will be dug out of their mounting,” she added. 77 Diamonds Director Tobias Kormind calculated that the French artifact pieces have an estimated value of €10 million ($13.4 million). In total, the stolen collection is worth €88 million ($102 million).
Interpol has posted a theft watch on their website and provided images of the stolen jewelry. Empress Eugenie’s crown was recovered from the scene. There are 8 remaining missing from the two Napoleon collections.
