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Louvre Heist: Museum Reopens as Director Faces Senate Hearing and Government Orders National Security Sweep

Prosecutors report four identified suspects with fingerprints now under analysis.

Overview

  • The economic loss from eight stolen Crown jewels is estimated at €88 million, a figure separate from their historical value.
  • The jewels were not covered by private insurance because France self-insures works held in their home public museums.
  • Investigators say the thieves used a vehicle-mounted lift obtained through a sham moving rental; fingerprints found on site are being compared and no arrests have been announced.
  • The Culture and Interior ministers ordered a nationwide inventory of high‑value cultural objects by 14 November and instructed prefects to reinforce protections, alongside a ministerial mission and an IGAC administrative inquiry.
  • Louvre chief Laurence des Cars appears before the Senate culture commission today as the museum reopens, with unions and a Court of Auditors pre-report citing diminished security staffing and delayed equipment upgrades; the museum maintains its 2019 cases improved security.