Overview

• The Paris prosecutor has opened an organized-crime case and assigned the investigation to the Brigade de répression du banditisme.
• Thieves cut a service door and used a blowtorch to breach a reinforced display, leaving a torch, cartridges and a saw at the scene.
• Roughly 6 kilograms of native gold were taken, including a unique specimen of about 5.25 kilograms, which the museum says has inestimable scientific value.
• The museum estimates the loss at about €600,000 based on raw gold prices, while some police reporting suggests a higher figure under review.
• Police describe a fast, professional operation by at least three perpetrators; CCTV and alarm performance are under forensic review after conflicting accounts, the gallery remains closed under reinforced surveillance, and officials fear the pieces could be melted.