Paris —
In a real-life heist straight out of a Hollywood thriller, a team of highly skilled thieves pulled off one of the boldest robberies in recent history — stealing priceless royal jewels from the Louvre Museum in Paris in just seven minutes.
According to French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez, the meticulously planned operation took place on the morning of October 19 inside the museum’s iconic Apollo Room, which houses the French crown jewels and rare antiquities.
The thieves reportedly entered through an external elevator, cut open a window, and made off with the jewels before fleeing on motorcycles. “It’s clear this was the work of a highly professional and coordinated team,” Nuñez told French radio. “They completed the operation in seven minutes flat.”
France’s Culture Minister Rachida Dati confirmed that one piece of jewelry was found near the museum, while authorities are compiling a detailed inventory of the stolen items, whose monetary and cultural value is considered immeasurable.
The heist occurred around 9:30 a.m. local time, prompting the evacuation and temporary closure of the museum. Police quickly cordoned off the area as forensic teams began their investigation.
Ariel Weil, the mayor of central Paris, described the incident as “a remarkably well-coordinated operation,” adding, “We haven’t seen anything like this at the Louvre in over a decade.”
The last time the museum faced such a scandal was in 1911, when the Mona Lisa was famously stolen — a case that shocked the art world for years.
Authorities remain confident of recovering the stolen treasures. “We will find them,” Nuñez vowed, “and the artifacts will be brought home.”
The daring theft has once again reignited global debate about museum security and the protection of world heritage, reminding many that even the most secure institutions can fall prey to precision crime.
