Overview

• The break-in occurred in the early hours of Sept. 16 at the geology and mineralogy gallery, with intruders using an angle grinder and a blow torch to gain access.
• The thieves took several native-gold specimens valued at about €600,000 by raw metal price, which the museum says have inestimable heritage value.
• The gallery is closed to the public for inventory and will remain under enhanced surveillance, and police were alerted as soon as security staff discovered the breach.
• No suspects have been arrested, and authorities are assessing whether a July incident that reportedly disabled alarms and cameras contributed to the theft.
• The museum’s director described the perpetrators as an extremely professional team that targeted specific items, and the case comes after other recent robberies including a high-value porcelain theft in Limoges.