Thieves break into the Louvre and steal Napoleon's jewels.
There have been no casualties and the museum will remain closed all day today.
BarcelonaThis Sunday morning, just as the Louvre Museum was opening its doors, masked thieves entered the Apollo Gallery and stole several pieces from the Napoleon and Empress jewelry collection. The museum has announced that it will remain closed today.
The robbery occurred between 9:30 and 9:40 a.m. French Culture Minister Rachida Dati explained on social media that an investigation has been opened and that there were no victims or injuries.
The thieves gained access to the building using a freight elevator that was being used for construction work next to the museum. They went directly into the Apollo gallery, where numerous jewels are on display, as the Louvre explains on its website.
Interior Minister and former Paris police prefect Laurent Nuñez told France Inter that the thieves broke several windows with a grinder. Two of them then entered the museum, while a third remained outside. They fled on a TMax motorcycle toward the A6 motorway. The operation lasted only seven minutes. "They acted very, very quickly," the minister said.
According to the newspaper The Parisian The attackers allegedly stole nine pieces from Napoleon and Empress Eugénie's jewelry collection, including a necklace, a brooch, and a diadem. The pieces were displayed behind the "Napoleon" and "French Sovereigns" display cases. One of these pieces, broken, was found outside the museum.
Authorities believe the attack was carried out by a highly organized team that may have planned the robbery in advance. Investigators are now analyzing security cameras to identify the perpetrators of the theft, who are still at large.
