Chainsaw-wielding robbers broke into the Louvre in Paris on Sunday (Oct 19) and made away with priceless jewelry, main the world’s most visited museum to shut for the day.
Inside Minister Laurent Nuñez referred to as it a “main theft”. He mentioned on France Inter that people “entered from the surface utilizing a basket carry”, stole jewels of “inestimable worth”, and that the operation “lasted seven minutes”.
It was “manifestly a group that had completed scouting”, he mentioned, including that the panes had been lower “with a disc cutter”.
The thieves arrived between 9.30am and 9.40am native time, a supply following the case mentioned.
A separate police supply mentioned the robbers had drawn up on a scooter armed with small chainsaws and used a items carry to achieve the room they had been focusing on.
French day by day Le Parisien reported that the criminals entered the world’s most visited museum and former palace through the Seine-facing facade, the place building is underway. The report added that they used a freight elevator to achieve direct entry to the focused room within the Apollo Gallery.
After breaking home windows, they reportedly stole “9 items from the jewelry assortment of Napoleon and the Empress”, Le Parisien mentioned. It additionally reported that one of many stolen jewels was later discovered outdoors the museum. The paper mentioned it was believed to be Empress Eugénie’s crown and that it had been damaged.
France’s Tradition Minister Rachida Dati earlier on Sunday mentioned no accidents had been reported.
The Louvre mentioned on X it was closing its doorways for the day “for distinctive causes”.
Video from the scene confirmed chaotic crowds of vacationers as police closed the museum’s gates and close by roads main previous the palace advanced.
