Dramatic video shows the moment thieves at the Louvre broke into plinths protecting priceless jewels during a heist on Sunday.
A hooded man wearing a high-visibility jacket is seen meddling with a large display case at the famed art museum in cameraphone footage.
Two thieves posed as workmen while two others arrived on scooters to carry out the daring raid in a matter of minutes, according to Le Parisien.
The daylight heist happened at around 9.30 a.m., with visitors already inside, in what Culture Minister Rachida Dati described as a professional âfour-minute operationâ.
Wielding power tools, the thieves used a basket lift to climb the galleryâs facade, before cutting through a window with a disc cutter, smashing two display cases and fleeing on motorbikes with Napoleonic jewels, according to officials.
A witness named Samir told TF1 news that he saw two men âget on the hoist, break the window and enterâ. He said it took 30 seconds.
The ministry of culture said the items stolen from the Apollon gallery included a tiara and a brooch belonging to Empress EugĂ©nie, wife of Napoleon III; an emerald necklace and a pair of emerald earrings owned by Empress Marie Louise, second wife of Napoleon I; a tiara, necklace and earring belonging to Queen Marie-Amelie and Queen Hortense; and a brooch known as a the âreliquary broochâ.
Two items, including a crown belonging to the empress Eugénie, were found near the scene, having apparently been dropped during the escape. The crown, found broken, was adorned with golden eagles and covered in 1,354 diamonds and 56 emeralds.
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said the raid happened âvery, very fastâ and was over in a matter of minutes.
The culture ministry said the group had tried to set fire to their vehicle outside the museum, but were stopped by a member of staff.
Nobody was injured in the heist, but guards were threatened.
The Paris prosecutorâs office said it had opened an investigation, and that the value of the stolen items was still being assessed.
Recovery may prove difficult. “It’s unlikely these jewels will ever be seen again,” said Tobias Kormind, managing director of 77 Diamonds.
“Professional crews often break down and re-cut large, recognizable stones to evade detection, effectively erasing their provenance.”
Investigators are reviewing CCTV from the Denon wing and the riverfront, inspecting the basket lift used to reach the gallery and interviewing staff who were on site when the museum opened, authorities said.
Astonishingly, the robbery occurred just 800 metres from Parisâ police headquarters.
A spokesperson for the museum said that the Louvre would remain closed on Monday, after expecting to reopen late this morning.
The Louvre has a long history of thefts and attempted robberies. The most famous came in 1911, when the Mona Lisa vanished from its frame, stolen by Vincenzo Peruggia and recovered two years later in Florence.
Another notorious episode came in 1956, when a visitor hurled a stone at her world-famous smile, chipping paint near her left elbow and hastening the move to display the work behind protective glass.
