The audacious crime has gone viral on social media, drawing comparisons to the film Dhoom 2 and inspiring a popular AI-generated video of the Louvre Museum theft. While the investigation continues with no arrests made, the Apollo Room remains closed.
Paris (France): The Louvre Museum reopened to visitors on Wednesday, October 22 morning, three days after a brazen daylight robbery saw thieves escape with royal jewellery worth over $100 million. While most of the museum resumed operations, the Apollo Room where the heist occurred remains closed as authorities hunt for the perpetrators. The audacious theft has triggered an unexpected response on social media, with users drawing parallels to the 2006 Bollywood blockbuster Dhoom 2 and AI-generated videos reimagining the crime as a cinematic spectacle going viral online.
The heist unfolded with military precision on Sunday. According to authorities, the gang spent less than four minutes inside the museum after using a freight lift positioned against the Seine-facing façade to force open a window. They smashed two display cases containing the museum’s most valuable treasures before museum alarms drew security agents to the scene. The thieves fled on two Yamaha TMax scooters, completing the entire operation in approximately seven minutes. The robbery took place just 250 meters from Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa and 800 meters from Paris police headquarters. A witness identified as Samir, who was cycling nearby, told TF1 television he watched the operation unfold. “I saw two men get on the hoist, break the window and enter… it took 30 seconds,” he said. He observed four individuals fleeing on scooters and immediately contacted police.
AI Video Viral
As investigators search for what they’ve described as “experienced criminals,” an AI-generated video depicting the heist in movie-style fashion has emerged on social media, racking up millions of views and sparking widespread comparisons to Bollywood’s Dhoom franchise. The 2006 film features an iconic museum heist scene where character Aryan, played by Hrithik Roshan, disguises himself as a statue to carry out a robbery. The similarities between fiction and reality have not been lost on internet users.
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One user on X noted that even 48 hours after the Louvre Museum robbery, the culprits had not been arrested and the stolen jewellery was still missing, adding that this situation proves that reality can rival fiction and could make a perfect plotline for Dhoom 4.
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Investigation Continues
French authorities have made no arrests as of Friday, and none of the stolen jewellery has been recovered. The investigation is ongoing, with police analyzing security footage and pursuing leads across Europe. The Apollo Room will remain closed indefinitely as the crime scene investigation continues. The Louvre has not commented on potential security upgrades following the breach. The incident marks one of the most significant art heists in recent history, notable both for its execution and the cultural response it has generated in the age of AI and social media.