IN FRANCE: Search for stolen jewelry worth $102 million continues

International

FRENCH authorities have revealed that the jewellery stolen from the Louvre Museum during a daring daylight robbery over the weekend is worth an estimated €88 million ($102 million), a figure prosecutors described as “extraordinary” both in value and cultural significance.

In a report by BBC, public prosecutor Laure Beccuau confirmed the valuation, citing information provided by the museum’s curator. She said the theft represents not just a financial loss, but a devastating blow to France’s historical heritage.

The stolen items included crown jewels and gifts once presented by two Napoleons to their wives—heirlooms that form part of France’s national identity.

The robbery unfolded in under eight minutes on Sunday morning, just after the world-renowned museum opened its doors to visitors.

According to investigators, four masked thieves used a modified truck equipped with a mechanical lift to reach a balcony overlooking the River Seine. From there, two suspects allegedly used battery-powered tools to cut through a first-floor glass window and gain entry into the museum’s Galerie d’Apollon, home to some of France’s most prized jewels.

Once inside, the thieves threatened security staff, prompting guards to evacuate the area.

They swiftly seized a collection of irreplaceable artefacts, including a diamond-and-emerald necklace given by Emperor Napoleon to his wife, Empress Joséphine; a tiara worn by Empress Eugénie, the wife of Napoleon III; and several pieces once owned by Queen Marie-Amélie.

A damaged crown believed to have belonged to Empress Eugénie was later discovered along their escape route—apparently dropped as the culprits fled the scene.

Eyewitness accounts and CCTV footage show the robbers attempting to set their getaway truck on fire to destroy evidence.

However, a museum employee intervened, forcing them to abandon the effort. The thieves were last seen fleeing on scooters, disappearing into the streets of central Paris before authorities could respond.

The French government has since increased security at major cultural sites following what Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin called a “total failure of protocol.”

A preliminary report revealed that one in three rooms in the Louvre lacked CCTV coverage, and the museum’s alarm system failed to trigger during the break-in. Darmanin admitted that the robbers’ ability to drive a modified truck right up to the museum had left France with a “terrible image” of its cultural security.

President Emmanuel Macron condemned the theft as an “attack on France’s heritage,” echoing growing concern over the vulnerability of national treasures.

Prosecutors believe the perpetrators were professionals, given the speed and precision of the operation. Experts in art recovery warn that investigators have only a narrow window—perhaps a day or two—to recover the jewels before they are dismantled and sold on the black market.

Beccuau expressed hope that publicizing the jewellery’s immense cultural and historical worth might deter the thieves from destroying or melting down the pieces.

“They will never get the fortune they imagine,” she said. “If they have the very bad idea of breaking them apart, the loss will be irreparable—not only for France, but for humanity’s shared heritage.”(Xienderlyn Trinidad, USJ-R Comm Intern)