According to French media, items from the collection of Napoleon and the Empress were stolen. The Louvre administration reported that the museum will be closed for the entire day due to "exceptional reasons."
The largest French museum, the Louvre, has been robbed. As reported on social media by France's Minister of Culture Rachida Dati, the incident occurred early in the morning, and there are no casualties.
"I am on site with museum staff and police," she added.
According to BFMTV, the incident happened around 9:30 AM. The robbers arrived at the crime scene on scooters. Using an external freight elevator, they reached the windows and broke them. Once inside the museum, the thieves stole jewelry from the collections of Napoleon and French monarchs, before fleeing.
TF1 reports that brooches, tiaras, and necklaces were stolen.
The Minister of the Interior, Laurent Nunez, stated that the stolen items are cultural and "priceless" heritage of the country.
According to him, the robbery lasted seven minutes and was carried out by a very "experienced" criminal group that conducted reconnaissance and acted remarkably swiftly.
The Paris prosecutor's office confirmed to BFMTV that an investigation into the organized theft and criminal conspiracy has been initiated and assigned to the anti-banditry team of the Department of Criminal Investigations in conjunction with the Central Office for the Fight Against the Illegal Circulation of Cultural Property. The prosecutor's office added that an assessment of the damage is currently underway.
By a joint decision of the police headquarters, the Ministry of the Interior, and the management of the Louvre, the museum was closed as a security measure. The evacuation was carried out without incident.
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