ALL ABOUT THE RECENT LOUVRE HEIST.

Written by Kimaya Gupte, 06/11/2025.

By now, it’s hard not to have heard of the infamous Louvre heist that took place in broad daylight a couple weeks ago, in which an estimated $100 million worth of historical artifacts was lost from the world forever. The eight items stolen were French crown jewels, all of which have been held by French royalty – notably, members of the House of Napoleon. The more time that passes without the items being recovered, the less likely it is that they will ever be seen intact again. As the thieves wouldn’t be able to sell such recognizable artifacts, they would have to break them down, destroying and melting them before selling them on the black market. 

In a fortunate but less than ideal turn of events, the burglars ended up dropping an item during their frenzied escape from the museum: the crown belonging to Empress Eugenie, the last empress of France. Recovered as it was, the crown, made of gold and encrusted with over 1300 diamonds, was found damaged; the extent of which so far doesn’t seem too severe. It currently awaits repair. 

So, who were these people that managed to pull off the biggest heist the Louvre museum’s seen since 1911? As of November 2nd, four suspects have been charged: three men and one woman. 

At 9:30am on October 19, the thieves arrived in a stolen vehicle – a truck mounted with an electric ladder – parking it right up against a wall on the South side of the museum. Two of the men then used the ladder to reach a balcony on the second floor, while the other two remained in the getaway vehicle. At 9:34, the thieves used an angle grinder (a tool often used for cutting steel) to cut a hole in the window of the Louvre’s Apollo Gallery, a few rooms down from where the Mona Lisa is. 

There are 25 cameras guarding the museum’s perimeter, a number that upon reflection after the heist, is being regarded by many as too low. These cameras are also quite old, and have more blindspots than would be expected of one of the world’s most secure museums. The single camera on the balcony was an example of this, as it was pointed westward, away from the thieves. Once inside the gallery, the thieves used equipment that the Louvre itself had reported would be best for saving art pieces in the event of a fire, to smash the display cases of the targeted jewelry. Then, they were out. The entire process took eight minutes. 

This heist was well organized, but ultimately, carried out by “petty criminals” who left behind a trail of evidence making them easy to catch, including DNA evidence linking three of the four suspects to the robbery. One man, an Algerian, was arrested at the Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, where he had attempted to catch a flight to Algeria. Another man was arrested at his home. Both of these suspects reportedly “partially admitted” their involvement in the heist. 

Five other people were arrested a few days later, with three of them soon being released. The two that remained, a couple with children, denied all involvement in the crime, despite both of their DNA being found at the crime scene. 

Since its occurrence, this Louvre-heist has become an international sensation, and as the investigation of the crime is still in progress, please keep up with the news for updates.