Was Louvre heist commissioned by collector? What we know about brazen crime

The group of chainsaw-wielding thieves who robbed The Louvre in broad daylight may have been hired by a collector, officials said. A day earlier, thieves broke into the world-renowned museum and fled with eight French imperial jewels–all within seven minutes. The culprits targeted Galerie d'Apollon, the officials said. Following the incident, French authorities found a 19th-century crown near the museum. The crown belonged to Empress Eugenie, the wife of Napoleon III. It features golden eagles and is covered in 1,354 diamonds and 56 emeralds.

Paris Prosecutor Laure Beccuau said that authorities are investigating whether the heist was commissioned by a collector, reported New York Post. “We’re looking at the hypothesis of organized crime,” she told BFM TV. She added that it was possible professionals were working on spec for a buyer.

Beccuau said, in that case, that there was a good chance that the stolen pieces would be in good condition once they’re tracked down and retrieved. She added that it was also possible that the jewels were used to launder profits from other criminal enterprises.

“Nowadays, anything can be linked to drug trafficking, given the significant sums of money obtained from drug trafficking,” she said.

Beccuau noted that while investigators were keeping all angles open for the crime but foreign interference had been largely ruled out.

The Louvre museum remained closed on Monday (Oct 20), second day after the brazen theft. A team of 60 investigators are on a manhunt to catch the thieves who fled with eight items from the world-renowned museum.

Meanwhile, France’s Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin on Monday admitted lapses in the security of the museum that led to robbers gaining entry and fleeing with imperial jewels in broad daylight.

“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 and give France a terrible image,” he told France Inter radio.

Four thieves wielding power tools raided the Louvre in just seven minutes around 9:30 am and fled with some of the country’s priceless crown jewels. The museum had just opened minutes before at 9:00 am.

According to the culture ministry, “Two high-security display cases were targeted, and eight objects of invaluable cultural heritage were stolen.” The largest museum in the world is home to world-famous art spectacles, including the Mona Lisa.