In the morning of Sunday, October 19th, thousands of tourists could not enter the world-famous Louvre Museum in Paris as the building was cordoned off by security forces.
Later in the morning French Culture Minister Rachida Dati announced that the museum had been robbed. The perpetrators apparently took advantage of the renovation that is going on at the museum, entering using one of the basket lifts.
France’s Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said that jewellery stolen from the Napoleon collection, including a brooch, a necklace and a tiara, was “priceless.”
The minister told French news outlets that “three or four” thieves had focused on two displays in the exhibition venue’s Gallerie d’Apollon (‘Apollo’s Gallery’), completing their broad daylight robbery in just seven minutes.
According to an AFP police source, the hooded suspects were equipped with small chainsaws, with two entering the museum and one remaining outside as a lookout. The whole operation that took place between 9:30 and 9:40 a.m. is said to have lasted only a few minutes.
So far, the Louvre has only stated that it will remain closed on Sunday for “exceptional reasons.”
Culture Minister Rachida Dati said one of the jewellery pieces stolen has already been found near the museum.
