Louvre Museum Jewel Heist Shocks French Government
By: Brandon Whitaker
On October 19th a robbery was executed in broad daylight at the Louvre in Paris, France. The thieves were able to confiscate jewels that once belonged to Napoleon that were of “inestimable value” according to time.com sources say that four thieves entered the musuem at 9:30 a.m. They used a truck mounted with a basket lift to enter the museum through a window leading to the Apollo gallery. Multiple news outlets are reporting that the heist was completed in just seven minutes and in that time the suspects stole nine of France’s crown jewels. According to NBC news the four suspects left behind the Regent Diamond, a 140 carat diamond valued at $60 million and if they had wandered a bit farther from that spot they would’ve had a shot at obtaining the Mona Lisa.
According to the BBC, French police say that the suspects were inside for just four minutes and left on two scooters at 9:38 a.m. on Sunday. They dropped a couple items on their way from the scene including the Crown of Empress Eugénie, empress to Napoleon III, which was found broken at the scene.
Between the basket lift, the power tools used to break through the window and the plan to flee on two scooters it’s clear that the four suspects are experienced. An eyewitness outside the musuem even said that they tried to set the truck on fire but were ushered away from the vehicle. Due to the uniqueness of the stolen artifacts the thieves will most likely try to melt down the jewels before selling and the French government’s top priority is to find the four suspects before that happens. French President Emmanuel Macron referred to the heist as an “attack on a heritage that we cherish because it is our history.” There is debate as to whether these four suspects were commisioned by a collector, in which case they would avoid melting the jewels. If they are truly planning to melt the jewels, then it is estimated that the French authorities will have less than a week to find the suspects if they want to keep the artifacts intact.
