Overview

• Three masked assailants exploited construction along the Seine, used a moving lift and cutting tools to reach the Apollo Gallery, and targeted cases labeled “Napoléon” and “Souverains Français.”
• The museum was evacuated and closed for the day with no injuries reported, though witnesses described moments of panic near the glass pyramid entrances.
• One stolen item, identified as Empress Eugénie’s crown, was found outside the museum damaged, while a Louvre source said the famed 140‑carat Régent diamond was not endangered.
• Interior Minister Laurent Nunez called the jewels inestimable, said the operation lasted about seven minutes, and indicated the group likely conducted prior reconnaissance while noting vulnerabilities in museum security.
• The Paris prosecutor opened an investigation for organized theft and criminal association, assigning the BRB with support from the OCBC, as police pursue leads after the suspects fled on scooters toward the A6.