A daring daylight heist took place at the Louvre Museum in Paris on Sunday, October 19, 2025, where a group of masked thieves stole several Napoleonic-era jewels described as “priceless” by French officials.
How the Heist Happened
Around 9:30 a.m. local time, shortly after the museum opened to the public, the thieves used a mechanical or basket lift to access a window of the Galerie d’Apollon, the section that houses France’s Crown Jewels.They broke through the glass panes using power tools such as disc cutters and chainsaws, smashed display cases, and stole jewels from the collection in less than four to seven minutes before escaping on two Yamaha TMax motorbikes toward a nearby highway.
The Stolen Artifacts
Authorities confirmed that nine pieces were targeted, eight of which were successfully stolen; one—the emerald- and diamond-encrusted crown of Empress Eugénie, wife of Napoleon III—was found damaged outside the museum during the thieves’ escape.The jewels belonged to the Napoleonic collection, with immense cultural and historical importance beyond their material value.
Investigation and Reactions
French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez called the theft “a major robbery” and emphasized that the items were of “inestimable heritage value” ��. Minister of Culture Rachida Dati confirmed that the robbers acted professionally and that there were no injuries among staff or visitors .President Emmanuel Macron condemned the robbery as “an attack on our shared heritage” and vowed that the culprits would be brought to justice .
The Louvre remained closed for the rest of the day under “exceptional circumstances” as investigators continued their search. Police have focused on the abandoned lift near the River Seine as a key clue in unraveling one of France’s most sophisticated museum heists in recent memory.
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