Overview
- Police are searching for a four-person masked team that used a truck lift to access a first-floor balcony, cut through a window, smashed two cases and fled on powerful scooters.
- Eight crown-jewellery pieces were taken, including diadems, necklaces, earrings and brooches, while Empress Eugénie’s crown was found nearby in damaged condition.
- Investigators retrieved gloves, tools, a radio and a safety vest and are reviewing surveillance footage; the case is being pursued as organized gang theft carrying penalties of up to 15 years.
- The Paris prosecutor ruled out foreign-state involvement and said current indications point to criminal networks rather than destabilization operations.
- A Court of Auditors report highlights missing cameras in many galleries and delayed security upgrades, ministers acknowledged failures, and the museum stayed shut through Monday with Tuesday reopening uncertain as recovery prospects dim if jewels are dismantled.