Overview
- Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau put the stolen collection’s value at €88 million and cautioned the haul would fetch far less if dismantled.
- Roughly 100 investigators under the JIRS are pursuing the case, have identified four people present, and are analyzing fingerprints recovered at the scene.
- The thieves used a hydraulic lift to reach a first-floor balcony, cut into the Galerie d’Apollon, shattered two display cases with power tools, and fled on motorcycles in about seven minutes.
- One item—the Empress Eugénie crown—was recovered nearby with damage, while reports differ on whether eight or nine pieces remain missing.
- The Louvre reopens to visitors on Wednesday, but the Galerie d’Apollon remains closed indefinitely as political scrutiny intensifies over security, including questions about CCTV coverage and recent audit warnings; Culture Minister Rachida Dati maintains the system worked.