The Daily Aus How did thieves break into the Louvre?
Oct 22, 2025
A daring jewelry heist at the Louvre left authorities baffled. Thieves cleverly posed as maintenance workers and accessed a window with a ladder. Using power tools, they breached display cabinets while visitors were present, leading to a chaotic response from unarmed guards. The raid took only three minutes, resulting in the theft of priceless Napoleonic crown jewels. Puzzlingly, some items were dropped, and investigators believe the stones will likely be melted down to erase their identities. The museum is now closed as detectives assess the situation.
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Ladder And High‑Vis Disguise
- Two men mounted a common mechanical ladder to a second-floor window and climbed in wearing high-vis to blend in with maintenance workers.
- They used power tools to break the window and enter the gallery within minutes, while visitors were present.
Security Gaps Enabled Speedy Entry
- Louvre windows in that gallery were not reinforced, making them susceptible to simple break‑ins with basic tools.
- Unarmed security protocol prioritised evacuating visitors over confronting intruders, enabling the thieves to work quickly.
Three‑Minute Cabinet Heist
- The thieves used angle grinders to cut through two metal cabinets, grabbed nine jewels and left in under four minutes.
- Breaking the cabinets triggered alarms, and one jewel was later found broken outside the museum.