The Louvre Museum, home to some of the world's most iconic artworks, including Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa, has been hit by one of its biggest security breaches in history. A gang of four thieves made off with €88m (£76m) worth of French crown jewels over the course of less than 10 minutes last Sunday morning.
According to museum director Laurence des Cars, the heist was only possible due to weaknesses in the Louvre's CCTV system and perimeter security. The only camera monitoring the exterior wall where the thieves broke in was pointing away from the first-floor balcony that led to Gallery of Apollo, housing the jewels. This meant that the lorry carrying the gang and their mechanical ladder, used to reach the gallery's first floor, was not spotted at all as it arrived at the foot of the Gallery of Apollo.
Des Cars described the CCTV system outside the Louvre as "very unsatisfactory" and inside as having areas that were too old to adapt to modern technologies. She had tendered her resignation to the culture ministry after the heist but was refused, highlighting the budget challenges big institutions face when it comes to security upgrades.
The museum's problems go beyond just its security systems. Des Cars also spoke about cuts in surveillance and security staff over the past decade and decaying infrastructure that could not handle the latest generation of video equipment.
While Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez expressed confidence that the thieves would be caught, it remains to be seen whether the priceless crown jewels can be retrieved or if they are irreparably damaged. The investigation into the heist is ongoing, with prosecutors suggesting that the robbers may have been acting under orders for a criminal organisation.
As one of the world's most famous museums reopens its doors three days after the theft, many are left wondering how such a high-profile security breach could occur and what measures will be taken to prevent similar incidents in the future.
According to museum director Laurence des Cars, the heist was only possible due to weaknesses in the Louvre's CCTV system and perimeter security. The only camera monitoring the exterior wall where the thieves broke in was pointing away from the first-floor balcony that led to Gallery of Apollo, housing the jewels. This meant that the lorry carrying the gang and their mechanical ladder, used to reach the gallery's first floor, was not spotted at all as it arrived at the foot of the Gallery of Apollo.
Des Cars described the CCTV system outside the Louvre as "very unsatisfactory" and inside as having areas that were too old to adapt to modern technologies. She had tendered her resignation to the culture ministry after the heist but was refused, highlighting the budget challenges big institutions face when it comes to security upgrades.
The museum's problems go beyond just its security systems. Des Cars also spoke about cuts in surveillance and security staff over the past decade and decaying infrastructure that could not handle the latest generation of video equipment.
While Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez expressed confidence that the thieves would be caught, it remains to be seen whether the priceless crown jewels can be retrieved or if they are irreparably damaged. The investigation into the heist is ongoing, with prosecutors suggesting that the robbers may have been acting under orders for a criminal organisation.
As one of the world's most famous museums reopens its doors three days after the theft, many are left wondering how such a high-profile security breach could occur and what measures will be taken to prevent similar incidents in the future.
Oh man this is crazy 
! Can't believe that €88m worth of French crown jewels were swiped 
! So it's not just about the Louvre's CCTV system being unsatisfactory 
, but also their lack of security staff 
and infrastructure 
... like what kind of budget can you expect from a big institution? 
I feel bad for Des Cars though, resigned after the heist but they didn't want to let her go 
. Fingers crossed that those priceless jewels are caught or recovered 
! CCTV cameras need to be upgraded ASAP 
and security measures strengthened 
... no more high-profile thefts like this! 
I'm still trying to wrap my head around this, like, what was going through those thieves' minds? They just walked into the Louvre, no alarms went off, not even a single security camera caught them on tape. It's wild that the CCTV system outside is basically useless 
. It's not just about the money, though - it's about the history and culture that those pieces represent 
. Fingers crossed they get caught and the jewels are recovered 
. how did those thieves even manage to pull off such a heist? 
. and now she's gotta deal with the fallout too... that's just unfair 
.
.
i mean i know museums have budget issues but £76m? that's like, a lot of money. i guess it's good that the thieves were caught already or else who knows how much longer they would've gotten away with it? 
like who leaves their crown jewels just lying around? i mean seriously €88m worth of stuff just vanished like magic 
did they even have a security system that was like "oh no thieves coming over" like what's the protocol there? and btw laurence des cars quitting because of budget issues is lowkey relatable tbh 
I mean, can you believe this? €88m gone! It's just crazy that those thieves were able to pull off something like that without anyone noticing. And it's not just about the security system being weak, but also the fact that they just chose a random time to hit the museum when no one was around. I feel bad for the staff and visitors who got affected by this.
. And to make matters worse, the director is being refused her resignation because of budget cuts 
. It's like they're playing a game of cat and mouse with thieves who are just waiting for an opening to strike 
. And now all those priceless jewels are gone... 
They say it's due to budget issues and old technology, but I mean come on... can't they afford better security or something? 
