(Paris, France) The renowned Louvre Museum in France was robbed in broad daylight. Robbers broke into the museum through a construction site outside the museum and fled with numerous priceless jewels in just minutes.
The robbery occurred around 9:30 a.m. local time on Sunday (October 19) (3:30 p.m. Singapore), while the Louvre was open to the public.
French Interior Minister Nunez said the robbers, numbering three or four, entered the museum from the construction site outside using a truck-mounted cargo lift. "They broke a window, went to several display cases, and stole jewels."
The robbers targeted the Apollo Wing, which houses the French royal jewels. The group had apparently conducted a preliminary survey and were repeat offenders. The French Interior Ministry statement noted that the stolen jewels "not only have market value but also carry inestimable cultural heritage and historical value."
No one was injured in the incident. French authorities have launched an investigation and are compiling a detailed inventory of the stolen items.
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French Culture Minister Dati said the entire operation took only about four minutes, and one of the pieces of jewelry was later found outside the museum, apparently dropped by the robbers as they fled.
Le Parisien reported that nine pieces of Napoleonic-era jewelry were stolen, and a damaged crown believed to belong to Empress Eugenie, wife of Napoleon III, was found outside the museum.
Following the incident, the Louvre announced on social media that it would be closed today for special reasons.
The Louvre, a Parisian landmark located just 800 meters from the Paris police headquarters, welcomed 8.7 million visitors last year.
Despite its tight security, the Louvre has experienced several thefts, most notably the theft of Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa in 1911. Earlier this year, the museum requested emergency government assistance to repair and renovate its aging galleries and better protect its collection of artworks.
French museums have been plagued by burglaries recently. Last month, gold samples worth €600,000 (S$900,000) were stolen from the Paris Museum of Natural History. Last November, four robbers stole snuff boxes and other valuable artifacts from the Musée Cognacq-Jay in Paris, in full view of the public.
