[Ammi]

"Priceless" jewellery has been stolen from the Louvre museum in Paris, in a daring heist that has forced the closure of the world famous landmark.

Authorities revealed details of the raid after the museum, which is the world's most popular and draws up to 30,000 visitors a day, said on X that it was closing for "exceptional reasons" on Sunday.

Culture minister Rachida Dati said footage of the operation showed the thieves "don't target people, they enter calmly in four minutes, smash display cases, take their loot, and leave".

"No violence, very professional," she told TF1.

French interior minister Laurent Nunez said the "major robbery" involved intruders entering the museum via a basket lift using a platform mounted on a lorry.

It is not clear if they brought any or all of the equipment they used with them, as construction work is taking place along the River Seine side of the sprawling building, where the break-in occurred.

Mr Nunez said: "They broke a window and went towards several display cases where they stole jewellery. These are jewels that have genuine heritage value and are, in fact, priceless."


The interior ministry said the criminals fled on two motorbikes. No injuries have been reported.


The number of robbers has not been confirmed but Mr Nunez told France Inter that three or four thieves got into the museum.

The gang was well prepared and had scouted the venue, Mr Nunez said, adding they cut window panes "with a disc cutter" before escaping "on a TMAX", a type of Yamaha maxi-scooter.

Forensic work is now under way and a detailed list of the stolen items is being compiled following the break-in, which took place between 9.30 and 9.40am (8.30-8.40am UK time)
Once in, they made for the Galerie d'Apollon (Apollo Gallery), home to a selection of the French Crown Jewels, the interior ministry said.

French daily newspaper Le Parisien, citing police, said the suspects wore hoods and were carrying "small chainsaws".

The robbers reportedly escaped with nine pieces of jewellery, including a necklace, a brooch and a tiara from the Napoleon and French Sovereigns display cases, the newspaper reported.

Two suspects were inside while a third stayed outside, Le Parisien said.

What was stolen?

Ms Dati said one piece of jewellery had been recovered outside the museum, apparently dropped as they made their escape but would not say what it was.

According to Le Parisien, it was believed to be the crown of Napoleon III's wife, Empress Eugenie, and it was broken.

Police sealed off the museum and evacuated visitors on Sunday morning after the alarm was raised.

Detectives from the serious crime unit of the city's police are leading the investigation and "all available resources" are being used to recover the stolen goods, the force said.

What is in the Galerie d'Appollon?

The Galerie d'Appollon is an enormous room on the upper floor of the Petite Galerie, which houses the French Crown Jewels as well as the royal collection of hardstone vessels, paintings, tapestries and medallions, the museum's website said.

Rebuilt by Louis XIV after a fire, it is home to three historical diamonds - the Regent, one of the most famous diamonds in the world, the Sancy and the Hortensia.

At 140 carats, the Regent is exceptional in terms of size, weight and purity and when it was found in India in 1698, it was the largest known diamond at the time.

Social media users posted pictures and videos from in and outside the building, with one showing people leaving in "total panic".

One person on X who said they were there reported a confused-sounding scene of police "running" near the museum's famous pyramid "and trying to enter... from glass side doors but they were locked and they could not enter".

"Everyone inside was running and banging on glass doors to get out, but could not open. Police and military police arrived," they added.


https://news.sky.com/story/louvre-mu...bbery-13453106

[emseateng2014]

i wonder if it was a heist like oceans 8 11 12 and 13 style

[arista]

The Criminal took 7 Mins,
To Drill into the Thick Glass Case.

Photo Showed him, on Sky News


Security not there as he cut into the Glass



[A gang of brazen thieves dropped
the priceless Eugénie Crown outside the Louvre
in Paris during a jaw-dropping daylight heist
of the world's most visited museum.
The group of criminals swiped priceless items,
including a necklace and a brooch
once belonging to Napoleon Bonaparte
and his wife Josephine,
in broad daylight, forcing the tourist attraction
to shut its doors.
The raid, which took place at around 9.30am
on Sunday, saw the thieves brazenly break
into the art museum, which is also home
to the Mona Lisa, by propping a huge
freight elevator up against its walls,
according to an investigating source.]

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/gallerie...eum-Paris.html

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cg7nrlkg0zxo

[Ammi]

…I made a thread yesterday, Arista…

[Ammi]

Originally Posted by emseateng2014

i wonder if it was a heist like oceans 8 11 12 and 13 style

…It has had reports of being ‘the crime of the century’…/very professional and no violence etc…8 priceless items taken in only a four minute time frame so yeah…I guess, shades of a looney and Pitt et all….I wonder how someone would sell a priceless/high profile robbery item…are they stolen to order, hmmmmmm….

[Ammi]

Originally Posted by arista

https://www.thisisbigbrother.com/for...d.php?t=399426


Yes you did
I missed it

I hope staff can merge mine

…..I think they can do that… @AnnieK @Niamh.

[Ammi]

Originally Posted by arista

https://www.thisisbigbrother.com/for...d.php?t=399426


Yes you did
I missed it

I hope staff can merge mine

…..I think they can do that… @AnnieK @Niamh.

[AnnieK]

Originally Posted by Ammi

…..I think they can do that… @AnnieK @Niamh.

Done

[Ammi]

Originally Posted by AnnieK

Done

……

[Oliver_W]

"Maybe they were stolen back !!!11111"

[Livia]

They did this at 9:30 in the morning. You kind of have to admire their audacity.

[emseateng2014]

Originally Posted by Ammi

…It has had reports of being ‘the crime of the century’…/very professional and no violence etc…8 priceless items taken in only a four minute time frame so yeah…I guess, shades of a looney and Pitt et all….I wonder how someone would sell a priceless/high profile robbery item…are they stolen to order, hmmmmmm….

lol maybe the crimimals who did the heist were french verisons of dusty danny linus reuben yen basher saul virgil turk livingston and frank

[Ammi]

Originally Posted by emseateng2014

lol maybe the crimimals who did the heist were french verisons of dusty danny linus reuben yen basher saul virgil turk livingston and frank

…it’s crazy stuff, really…the Louvre contains some of the most valuable artefacts in the world and they were inside the building for only 4 minutes in broad daylight, that’s the level of security and how easy it was for the theft to happen…and the response is that they were experienced and knew what they were doing….well, yes….…it is stuff that movies are made of…

[Livia]

Such a shame the history will be gone when it's all broken up and melted down.

[arista]

Originally Posted by Livia

Such a shame the history will be gone when it's all broken up and melted down.

Yes to get their Cash

So many Diamonds to remove


Shocking, he was able to drill through the Glass
using a fully charged Angle Grinder
Clever of the criminals to wear
Orange top workman clothes

[emseateng2014]

Originally Posted by Ammi

…it’s crazy stuff, really…the Louvre contains some of the most valuable artefacts in the world and they were inside the building for only 4 minutes in broad daylight, that’s the level of security and how easy it was for the theft to happen…and the response is that they were experienced and knew what they were doing….well, yes….…it is stuff that movies are made of…

watch there be heist movies about this

[emseateng2014]

Originally Posted by Livia

Such a shame the history will be gone when it's all broken up and melted down.

or what if the stolen jewels are still intacted but hidden like oceans 8 11 12 and 13 style

[Livia]

Originally Posted by emseateng2014

or what if the stolen jewels are still intacted but hidden like oceans 8 11 12 and 13 style

This is real life, though...