A spectacular robbery has taken place at the Louvre Museum, in the heart of Paris, where the perpetrators stole precious jewels from the collection of Napoleon and Empress Eugenie, taking advantage of the fact that the museum was closed to visitors. The event took place in just seven minutes, while authorities are conducting intensive investigations to identify the perpetrators.
According to reports in Le Parisien, the robbers were four in number. Two of them were wearing yellow vests and introduced themselves as workers, using a forklift to reach the first floor of the building, on the Seine side, where work was being carried out. The other two were on a scooter. With the help of the forklift, they entered the famous Hall of Apollo, where the most precious jewels and imperial relics are kept.
The perpetrators of the robbery broke two display cases, one for the “Napoleon jewels” and the other for the “jewels of the French rulers”, using a wheelbarrow, and stole a set of jewelry, necklaces, earrings and two crowns, including the crown of Empress Eugenie. The four people then descended again with the help of a forklift and left the scene on two scooters. Police found two wheels, gasoline, gloves, a blanket, a vest and some jewelry on the road. According to information provided by AFP, the crown of Empress Eugenie was damaged during the robbery.
The crown of Napoleon III's wife, a typical example of imperial crowns, is made up of 1,354 diamonds and 56 emeralds, according to the Louvre Museum's website. However, a source within the museum confirmed that the famous "Régent" diamond, which is the largest in the collection and weighs over 140 carats, was not touched during the robbery. This particular diamond is also known as the "cursed" diamond, due to the many stories associated with those who have owned it, who have not had a good ending.
French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez noted that the robbers had a very well-organized plan, which they executed with great efficiency, taking advantage of every security vulnerability, and executed the entire operation in just seven minutes. Authorities are continuing intensive investigations to identify and arrest the perpetrators of this spectacular robbery.
