The Louvre in Paris remained shut on Monday as authorities searched for four suspects involved in a daring jewelry theft that occurred the previous day, with the entire heist lasting under ten minutes, SİA reports citing foreign media.
Officials described the stolen pieces as invaluable, and the incident has sparked widespread concern about security at one of the world’s most iconic cultural landmarks.
“This morning, many French citizens feel personally targeted by this theft,” France’s Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin told France Inter radio. “Much like the shock when Notre-Dame burned, this audacious jewelry theft at the Louvre has a profound symbolic impact.”
Darmanin added, “It’s impossible to fully secure every area, but clearly, we did not succeed in this instance.” The Louvre, once a royal palace turned museum after the French Revolution, is a cornerstone of French culture, welcoming thousands of visitors daily and housing more than 33,000 artworks across its sprawling wings and courtyards.
The museum announced it would remain closed “following yesterday’s theft,” and tickets already purchased will be refunded. Earlier reports suggested it would reopen, but no reason was given for the last-minute decision.
President Emmanuel Macron promised that the culprits would be apprehended. The French interior and culture ministers convened a crisis meeting on Monday, underlining the gravity of the incident.
Shortly after the Louvre opened, masked thieves used an electric ladder and grinders to break into the second-floor Apollo Gallery, home to France’s historic crown jewels collection. The robbers escaped on motor scooters with eight valuable pieces, including a royal sapphire necklace, a royal emerald necklace with matching earrings, and a diadem once worn by Empress Eugénie, wife of Napoleon III.
Paris Prosecutor Laure Beccuau told BFMTV that while the thieves did not carry weapons, they threatened security staff, prompting the evacuation of a few visitors who were inside the gallery at the time.
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