A major robbery took place in the Louvre Museum in Paris in 7 minutes. A gang stole 9 precious jewels from the Napoleonic era. The French government has called it ‘Great Robbery’ and the investigation is ongoing.
Paris: A film-style robbery took place on Sunday in the world famous Louvre Museum in Paris, the capital of France, which houses the famous Mona Lisa painting by Leonardo da Vinci. In this incident that took place within just 7 minutes, a gang escaped after stealing 9 precious jewels from the Napoleonic era worth thousands of crores of rupees. The French government has called it ‘Great Robbery’. After this incident reminiscent of a Hollywood film, the entry of tourists into the museum was closed on Sunday and the police has started investigation.
How did the robbery happen in the Louvre Museum?
A gang wearing face masks reached the museum on a scooter around 9:30 am on Sunday morning with a hydraulic cutter. Then, using a hydraulic ladder already placed near the wall of the museum, they climbed to the roof of the museum. After climbing up, the gang cut the glass wall with a cutter. After this, the gang entered the museum and stole 9 things from Napoleon’s jewelery collection and fled. This entire incident ended in just 7 minutes.
After the incident, the gang of dacoits fled leaving behind the cutter and ladder. When the security personnel reached the spot, the matter came to light. The museum was immediately closed. Culture Minister Rashida Dati said, ‘No one was harmed during the robbery. Investigation is going on.
The stolen items also included a crown of French Queen Eugene worth Rs 850 crore, but in their haste the dacoits dropped it outside the museum and left. The security personnel have recovered it.
30,000 people come every day
The Louvre is the most famous museum in the world, where at least 25,000 people visit every day. There are about 33,000 ancient objects, sculptures and paintings from the Mesopotamian and Egyptian era. Artworks like Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa painting and Venus de Milo, Victory of Samothrace are the main attractions here.
Not the first time theft in Louvre
This is not the first incident of theft in the Louvre. On August 21, 1911, a museum employee stole Mona Lisa’s painting. He was later recovered. Even in 1956, Mona Lisa was attacked twice. One damaged the painting with a blade, while the other threw a stone. When Germany occupied France during the Second World War, the Nazis looted many artefacts here. Apart from this, attempts of theft keep happening here.
The Louvre Museum in Paris is the most famous in the world. At least 25,000 people come here every day.
Mesopotamian, Egyptian antiquities, sculptures, paintings and Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa painting are the specialties here.
On Sunday morning, a gang who came on a scooter cut the glass wall of the museum and looted 9 things from inside.
Of these, they dropped the precious crown of French Queen Eugene worth Rs 850 crore outside the museum and went away.
Otherwise, no value can be put on the 9 stolen things of Napoleon. It is being said that they are very precious.