The world's most famous museum has moved some of its most precious jewels to an ultra-secure vault in the Bank of France following a brazen daylight heist. The Louvre, home to millions of visitors each year, was breached on Sunday when masked thieves smashed through a window and made off with priceless treasures including a necklace that once belonged to Napoleon's wife Empress Marie-Louise.
The thieves used an angle grinder to break into the Gallery of Apollo, where France's crown jewels are kept. Within eight minutes, they had stolen several items worth an estimated €88m (£77m). The gang even managed to climb up to a first-floor balcony using a mechanical ladder on the back of a lorry.
The heist has raised questions about the security at the museum and how it was breached. Despite French ministers insisting that security worked properly, the Louvre's director, Laurence des Cars, has spoken of "weak and aging" infrastructure. Des Cars also revealed that there was only one camera facing the exterior wall where the break-in took place - but it was pointing in the wrong direction.
The thieves' audacity and ease with which they breached the museum have raised eyebrows among experts. The move to store some of the Louvre's most precious jewels in a Bank of France vault is seen as a precautionary measure to prevent any further thefts.
The ultra-secure "Souterraine" vault, where the jewels will be stored, was designed to withstand all attacks according to the bank's website. The main shaft is protected by a 50cm-thick door made of flame-resistant concrete and reinforced with steel, while behind it lies a 35-tonne rotating concrete turret that prevents any possibility of forced entry.
Interior Minister Laurent Nunez has vowed to catch those responsible for the heist, saying he has "every confidence" they will be brought to justice.
The thieves used an angle grinder to break into the Gallery of Apollo, where France's crown jewels are kept. Within eight minutes, they had stolen several items worth an estimated €88m (£77m). The gang even managed to climb up to a first-floor balcony using a mechanical ladder on the back of a lorry.
The heist has raised questions about the security at the museum and how it was breached. Despite French ministers insisting that security worked properly, the Louvre's director, Laurence des Cars, has spoken of "weak and aging" infrastructure. Des Cars also revealed that there was only one camera facing the exterior wall where the break-in took place - but it was pointing in the wrong direction.
The thieves' audacity and ease with which they breached the museum have raised eyebrows among experts. The move to store some of the Louvre's most precious jewels in a Bank of France vault is seen as a precautionary measure to prevent any further thefts.
The ultra-secure "Souterraine" vault, where the jewels will be stored, was designed to withstand all attacks according to the bank's website. The main shaft is protected by a 50cm-thick door made of flame-resistant concrete and reinforced with steel, while behind it lies a 35-tonne rotating concrete turret that prevents any possibility of forced entry.
Interior Minister Laurent Nunez has vowed to catch those responsible for the heist, saying he has "every confidence" they will be brought to justice.
. i know, right? the fact that they broke into this super secure museum and made off with like millions of euros worth of stuff is wild 
. and the security at the museum was literally pointing in the wrong direction lol 
. and can we talk about how old the infrastructure is supposed to be?! it's like they just didn't care enough to invest in some decent security measures 
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. and let's be real, the fact that there was only one camera facing the exterior wall where the break-in took place is just basic 
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. but let this be a lesson to all the museums out there: invest in some decent security or you might end up like the Louvre 
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️ Oh man! Can't believe what happened at the Louvre 
Those thieves were like ninjas 
stealthy and super smart 
They even used a mechanical ladder on the back of a truck 
to get in and out - crazy! 
but apparently, they weren't ready for this level of expertise 
It's like they thought, "Oh no, just one camera facing the wrong direction?" 
The ultra-secure vault thingy sounds super legit 
and I hope those thieves get caught ASAP 
Can't believe they thought they could just waltz in and steal all that history 
anyway, gotta give props to the thieves for pulling off the heist in like 8 minutes though... but at the same time i feel bad for the museum and the people who lost their stuff 
I'm really shocked by this recent heist at the Louvre Museum. I mean, who breaks into a museum during the day and steals millions of euros worth of jewels? 
It's like they wanted to draw attention to themselves. And it's crazy that they managed to get in so quickly - eight minutes is fast! 
and it's not like they were able to get away without being noticed - the gang even used an angle grinder to break in and then climbed up to a balcony... but what really gets me is that there was only one camera facing the wall where they broke in, and it was pointing at the wrong direction 
It's not exactly what you want to deal with when you're trying to show off the world's most famous art collection 
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️. and now the Louvre is basically hiding its crown jewels in a vault at the bank? it feels like security has become too lax... or maybe just too expensive 
. 88m euros is a lot of cash, but i'm sure there are more effective ways to prevent theft than moving everything to a secure location 
. This just goes to show that sometimes, no matter how hard we try to secure things, there are just people out there who want to take it all for themselves. But at the same time... I do think this will spark some real change and investment in security measures for museums like the Louvre. Fingers crossed! 