Search Intensifies

French authorities raced against time on Tuesday as they searched for four thieves who carried out a brazen daylight robbery at the Louvre Museum in Paris on Sunday.

Context

Four thieves executed a daring robbery on Sunday morning, stealing eight pieces of French crown jewels in less than eight minutes. The thieves arrived at 9:30 AM, shortly after the museum opened, parking a truck with a mounted basket lift along the Seine River.

Two masked men rode the lift to the second-floor Apollo Gallery, used power tools to cut through a window, threatened security guards, and smashed two display cases. They grabbed jewelry including sapphire and emerald necklaces, tiaras, and a brooch worn by Empress Eugénie, wife of Napoleon III, before fleeing on motorized scooters. The thieves dropped one item during their escape: Empress Eugénie’s crown, which features more than 2,500 diamonds and was later found damaged.

Investigation Underway

More than 60 investigators have been assigned to the case as of Tuesday, examining security footage from the museum and surrounding streets, forensic evidence, and witness statements. Prosecutors said they had footage of the four thieves arriving outside the Louvre before their rapid robbery.