Could the French TV series Lupin have been prophetic? The show envisioned a heist at the Louvre, an event that became reality on the morning of October 19, when a group of professional thieves managed to break into the world-famous Paris museum. In just seven minutes, they stole a host of priceless French crown jewels.
The heist took place at around 9:30 am local time, shortly after the museum opened to the public. Using a truck-mounted ladder, the thieves entered the Galerie d’Apollon—located in the Louvre’s Petite Galerie wing—through a second-floor window that they forced open with an angle grinder.
Upon entry, the robbers smashed open at least two display cases, took the precious artifacts, and then fled a few minutes later on two Yahama scooters, disappearing into traffic and soon turning onto the highway.
Included in the loot, according to French authorities, were eight crown jewels, almost all from the late Napoleonic era. A ninth item, Empress Eugénie’s diamond- and emerald-laden crown, was found damaged nearby, evidently dropped by the fleeing criminals. The thieves did get away with a tiara also belonging to Napoleon III’s wife, in full Empire style, decorated with 212 pearls, 1,998 diamonds, and another 992 rose-cut diamonds. They also took a bow brooch belonging to Empress Eugénie with 2,438 diamonds and 196 rose-cut stones. Also in the haul is a parure—a tiara with 24 Ceylon sapphires and 1,083 diamonds, accompanied by a necklace with eight impressive sapphires, more diamonds and gold work, and a pendant earring that belonged to Queen Maria Amalia.
It’s difficult to put a number on what this collection of jewels is worth; they are not mere luxury items with their own specific value, but rather priceless possessions. The literal value of the gems, stones, and gold is compounded by their historical value, not to mention the fact that they are part of the heritage of the French state, which in itself makes them likely impossible to sell on the traditional market. However, it is possible that, as often happens in this type of theft, the robbers will disassemble the artifacts, melt down the precious metals, recut the jewels to make them less traceable, and sell them on the gray or black market, potentially generating tens of millions of euros.
Regardless of its outcome, the Louvre heist was a skillful operation. Some analysts say the thieves exploited vulnerabilities in the museum’s security system, which has for years struggled with staffing problems, constant work in progress, and also increasing pressure from the exorbitant and growing number of visitors. A nationwide and international manhunt has now begun. At the moment there are no specific suspects, but all available images from the area (including a video that shows one of the thieves at work) are obviously being examined.
With all the surveillance footage and cameras now spread everywhere in the city, there should be plenty of material to identify possible leads. President Emmanuel Macron has strongly condemned the incident, and assured that those responsible will soon be brought to justice. Long gone, moreover, are the days when Italian decorator Vincenzo Peruggia committed what was until now considered the greatest theft in the history of the Louvre: the daring misappropriation of Leonardo’s Mona Lisa, which took place on August 21, 1911.
That painting was returned two years later; Peruggia attempted to resell it to a Florentine art dealer who then raised the alarm. Maybe a similar stroke of luck could happen in this case as well.
This story originally appeared on WIRED Italia and has been translated from Italian.