4 thieves committed a major robbery in just 7 minutes in the Louvre Museum in Paris. They stole 8 priceless diamond jewels from the time of Napoleon III. It is considered one of the biggest museum robberies in modern history.
Paris: The whole world is shocked by the theft in the Louvre Museum in Paris. Just four people committed a major robbery in less than 10 minutes, 7 minutes to be exact. The thieves defied the entire security system and stole precious jewelery and fled away.
Louvre is the most visited museum in the world. It was only half an hour after the museum opened on Sunday. Two thieves wearing masks entered the museum, while two were waiting for them outside on a scooter. The thieves installed an electric ladder on the balcony of the ‘Gallery of Apollo’ near the River Seine and climbed up. Then they broke the balcony window with a cutter and entered the museum.
CCTV footage shows that after entering inside, these masked men without any hurry broke the display boxes containing diamond jewelery and stole it. There were no threats, violence or distractions that typically occur in attempted thefts. This was a very professional approach. Officials believe that the thieves are very experienced. The thieves did everything in the blink of an eye.
The thieves picked up nine diamond jewels, one of which fell on the ground. He came out through the same staircase with the remaining eight jewels. Coming out, they quickly ran away, sitting on two bikes that were already waiting. All this took him only seven minutes. This was a plan that could beat even any thriller series. Absolute classic perfection.
Within seconds of the theft, security alarms started ringing. The staff immediately ensured the safety of the visitors. The protocol of the museum is that as soon as the alarm sounds, the visitors should be taken to a safe place and the police should be informed. The theft took place between 9:30 and 9:40 in the morning. Renovation work was going on in a part of the museum. There are reports that the thieves had come in the uniform of the employees there.
Eight pieces of jewelry, including a tiara, emerald necklace, earrings and brooches worn by Napoleon III’s wife, are stolen. All of them are from the 19th century and contain many diamonds and precious stones. Experts say this could be the biggest museum robbery in modern history. This is because 8 precious diamond jewels used by Napoleon and his wife have been stolen, which cannot be valued due to the history and specialty of the gems.
This museum is famous for its historical collection. After the French Revolution, what was previously a royal palace was converted into a museum. It houses many artefacts including sculptures from ancient Greece, Egypt and Mesopotamia, paintings by European artists and antique furniture used in the luxurious homes of Napoleon III. The museum has more than 35,000 valuable objects and is visited by about 30,000 people every day. Monalisa’s painting is the biggest feature of this museum.
Theft attempts in French museums are now becoming common. In the last few months, there have been theft attempts in many museums in France. This is not the first theft in the Louvre Museum either. In 1976, three thieves broke the windows on the second floor of the Louvre and stole the diamond-encrusted sword of King Charles X. In 1990, Pierre-Auguste Renoir’s painting ‘Portrait of a Seated Woman’ was stolen.
The most famous of these is the theft of the Monalisa painting in 1911. The thief was a security guard of the museum itself. He had hidden this masterpiece of Leonardo da Vinci in his coat and brought it out. Two years later he was caught while trying to sell it in Italy.
Not only in France, museum theft is becoming a trend in many European countries in recent years. By the way, after the theft of Louvre, many political allegations and counter-allegations have started in France. Controversy has started heating up regarding the negligence of the Macron government and the failure of the police. Officials have assured to catch the thieves soon, but till now no clue has been found.