Louvre Museum heist: Thieves steal $102m worth of jewels in Paris

The thieves who carried out the audacious daylight heist at the Louvre Museum in Paris made off with jewels worth over $102 million, the prosecutor’s office said on Tuesday.

Paris public prosecutor Laure Beccuau told RTL radio that even though the incident represented economic damage, “it is nothing compared to the historical damage caused by this theft.”

On October 19, 2025, a gang used a truck-mounted ladder to reach a second-floor window of the Galerie d’Apollon, broke in, and stole eight pieces of jewellery from the world’s most-visited museum.

The robbers escaped on scooters during morning traffic after an operation that lasted less than seven minutes, sparking outrage and raising concerns over the site’s security.

A leaked audit report revealed that parts of the museum, which recorded 8.7 million visitors in 2024, were not fully covered by surveillance cameras. Labour unions had also complained about inadequate staffing.

The popular attraction remains closed, while French law enforcement officials have begun analysing forensic evidence, video footage, and telephone records.

The investigation is being led by the Banditry Repression Brigade, a specialised police unit of the French Interior Ministry, which has handled other high-profile robberies.