The €88M Louvre Heist That Shook Paris

A Heist Straight Out of a Movie

In broad daylight, thieves dressed as workers executed a highly-staged jewellery theft at the Louvre’s Galerie d’Apollon. Using a truck-mounted lift and power-tools, they entered via a window, broke two cases, and left with eight royal pieces including a tiara once owned by Empress Eugénie.

Fast Facts

The Aftermath

On October 25, two men from Seine-Saint-Denis were arrested: one at Charles de Gaulle Airport heading to Algeria, the other in Seine-Saint-Denis en route to Mali. Both had prior records. Investigators say no other jewels have been publicly recovered.

Social media lit up with disbelief as users dubbed it a “real-life Lupin episode” as memes and theories flooded X. Many pointed out the irony of the world’s most secure museum becoming the scene of its own masterpiece theft.

Security Under Fire

Museum director Laurence des Cars admitted a perimeter blind-spot allowed the thieves’ entry. Over 100 investigators are now on the case. The stolen items have been added to INTERPOL’s Stolen Works of Art database.

A Wake-Up Call for Museums

The heist triggered evacuations and temporary closures. It raises urgent questions about museum safety, cultural heritage, and the role of AI and tech in security upgrades and how prepared global institutions really are.

What was stolen in minutes may take years to recover and the art world is watching closely.

Source:
The Guardian
People.com
Interpol