Unknown people robbed the Louvre in Paris, stealing nine jewels from Napoleon’s collection
A robbery occurred at the Louvre in Paris, during which nine jewels from Napoleon’s collection were stolen. This was announced by French Culture Minister Rachida Dati.
“This morning, during the opening of the Louvre, a robbery occurred. There are no reports of injuries. I am on site with the museum and the police, ”, — the message says.
The Louvre administration stated that the museum is temporarily is closed “for exceptional reasons”. There were no injuries, the investigation is ongoing. Details were not disclosed. The thieves entered the building from the side of the facade facing the Seine, where renovation work is underway. They used the freight elevator and went directly to the desired room in the Apollo gallery.
Two criminals, while the third stood guard, broke the display windows in the Napoleon and French Sovereigns galleries, stealing nine jewels of the imperial family, including a necklace, a brooch and a tiara. The most valuable exhibit, the “Regent” diamond weighing over 140 carats, remained in place. The amount of damage is currently being estimated based on photographs of the stolen items.
Later, the Minister of Culture confirmed that one of the stolen “jewelry” found outside. She stressed that the crime was committed by “professionals in four minutes”. The Paris prosecutor’s office has opened an investigation into charges of organized theft and conspiracy to commit kidnapping.
