Darmanin says ‘we have failed’ after Louvre robbery

(MENAFN) France is reeling from a major jewellery theft at the Louvre museum in Paris, with Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin admitting that security protocols “failed” and left the country with a “terrible image.”

On Sunday, four masked thieves armed with power tools broke into the world’s most-visited museum in broad daylight, making off with eight items of inestimable value before fleeing on scooters. Among the stolen pieces were a diamond and emerald necklace once given by Emperor Napoleon to his wife.

Security measures have been tightened across France’s cultural institutions, according to advisers to Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez. However, concerns remain that unless the thieves are quickly apprehended, the jewels could be dismantled and smuggled abroad.

A preliminary assessment by the Court of Auditors reportedly found that a third of the rooms in the wing where the robbery occurred lacked surveillance cameras. Darmanin said on France Inter radio: “What is certain is that we have failed, since people were able to park a furniture hoist in the middle of Paris, get people up it in several minutes to grab priceless jewels.” He expressed confidence that the police would eventually capture the perpetrators.

Chris Marinello, chief executive of Art Recovery International, warned that if the thieves are not caught within 24 to 48 hours, the stolen jewellery will likely be “long gone.” He explained that crowns and diadems are often broken into pieces, the metal melted down, and precious stones recut to conceal evidence. “They may catch the criminals but they won't recover the jewels,” Marinello said.

Interior Minister Nuñez acknowledged “a great vulnerability” in museum security. Security was tightened following a meeting with police and government ministers. French President Emmanuel Macron described the robbery as “an attack on a heritage that we cherish because it is our history.”

Senator Nathalie Goulet called the heist “a very painful” episode and said the alarm system at the gallery had recently been broken. She added, “I don't think we are facing amateurs. This is organised crime and they have absolutely no morals. They don't appreciate jewellery as a piece of history, only as a way to clean their dirty money.”

The theft occurred between 09:30 and 09:40 local time, shortly after the museum opened. The thieves used a truck with a mechanical lift to access the Galerie d’Apollon via a balcony along the River Seine. Two masked intruders cut through glass panes with a battery-powered disc cutter and entered the museum, threatening guards who evacuated the premises. The thieves smashed display cases and stole jewels containing thousands of diamonds and precious gemstones, completing the robbery in approximately eight minutes.

The Louvre remained closed on Monday as investigations continued, with authorities racing against time to recover the priceless items.

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