Everything You Need to Know about the Louvre Heist

Picture yourself sailing down the Seine with the wind in your hair and the warm sun glistening on your skin. You look up and see one of the most iconic landmarks in the world, the Eiffel Tower. Afterwards, you sit down at a relaxing cafe and munch on a warm, chocolate crepe with a steaming cup of coffee in your hand. Picture yourself sitting in a park, feeding the Parisian pigeons that somehow feel French themselves. All of the sudden, two scooters race past you at top speeds, with masked men carrying black satchels. You think nothing of this odd occurrence and attempt to continue feeding the scattered birds. Five minutes pass, and you hear a ding on your cell phone. You look down at the screen, flashing with notifications, which read “Priceless Napoleon Jewels Stolen From the Louvre Museum”. 

On Sunday, October 19th, 2025, a total of eight precious jewel items were taken from the famous Galerie d’Apollon room in the Louvre Museum located in Paris, France. At around 9:30 am, four highly experienced thieves arrived below the Galerie d’Apollon in a car-like vehicle with a mechanical ladder attached to the back. The thieves then mounted the ladder on the side of the building, leading up to the first floor window of the priceless space. Next, two of the thieves climbed the ladder and used strong power tools to cut through the glass and enter the gallery. Footage from the museum then shows the criminals in neon vests using another kind of power tool, angle grinders, to open the display case. After a mere three minutes and fifty seven seconds, the thieves had the jewels in their possession. From there, the thieves with the jewels climbed back down the ladder and set forth on high speed motor scooters, while guards rushed towards the room. 

However, while making their escape, the thieves left some traces behind. One neon vest was found at the scene, which was later investigated by authorities for fingerprints, DNA, or any other leads. The thieves also attempted to set their crucial mechanical ladder on fire before escaping, but the fire was put out before this evidence was ruined. Though, most importantly, while trying to make a quick getaway, the criminals dropped one of the most important jewels captured from its place: the priceless Eugenie Crown.

This heist occurred in broad daylight at 9:30 in the morning, unusual for an elaborate scheme like this. The Louvre itself opened at 9:00 in the morning, meaning there were visitors present while the jewels were being stolen. During the actual heist, the alarms set off by the initial window break caused security nearby to direct all visitors away from the gallery and a rush to get to the thieves. But the lack of efficient and up to date security measures initially delayed the response to the intruders. In fact, the police were called by a nearby cyclist, rather than the Louvre security system itself.

So far, seven unnamed suspects have been arrested for potential theft. One of the main suspects arrested was a thirty-four year old Algerian man at Charles de Gaulle Airport near Paris, on his way to fly to Algeria. Another suspect was arrested in Aubervilliers, a suburban town outside Paris. Yet there is no evidence that completely concludes those arrested did the crime, and the jewels also have not yet to be recovered.

This robbery has become known as “the heist heard around the world”. The initial concern and shock resulting from the crime, immediately turned into a subject of humor and mockery by many. The popular social media app, TikTok, has demonstrated various trends based around the heist, such as pretending users had committed the crime themselves on a Paris trip. Additionally, with Halloween closely following the heist, many have mocked this burglary by dressing up as the thieves sporting the jewels.

Right now, the priceless jewels, a part of our world’s history, are re-writing it once again. These precious items are the most popular topic of conversation, yet their absence makes it as though they don’t exist. The jewels could be anywhere in the world, from a far off island in the Caribbean to an apartment right next to the Louvre itself. The jewels could even be in Niskayuna, right beneath our noses.