Overview
- Four masked suspects stole eight 19th‑century crown jewels from the Galerie d’Apollon in a seven‑to‑eight‑minute raid using a nacelle and disk cutters before fleeing on scooters.
- About 60 investigators from the BRB and the OCBC are pursuing the group, and the Louvre remains closed to preserve evidence while the judicial probe for organized theft continues.
- A crown of Empress Eugénie was recovered near the museum and is under examination, but the other pieces remain missing.
- Recovered items—including two disk cutters, a blowtorch, fuel, gloves, a talkie‑walkie, at least one scooter, and a discarded gilet jaune—are being tested for potential DNA leads.
- Prosecutors describe the operation as grand banditry and are examining whether the thieves acted for a buyer or to strip gems for laundering, as political pressure mounts for stronger museum security.