French authorities are hunting four thieves following a heist at the Louvre museum in Paris that saw eight priceless and historical pieces of jewellery stolen, the city's chief prosecutor said.
The four men were a "strike team" who robbed the Louvre's Apollo Gallery containing France's crown jewels, wearing masks to hide their faces and using high-powered scooters to escape, the prosecutor, Laure Beccuau, told BFMTV television.
France's culture ministry said eight items of jewellery were stolen from the Louvre in Sunday's raid, including an emerald and diamond necklace that Napoleon gave his wife Empress Marie Louise.
"Two high-security display cases were targeted, and eight objects of invaluable cultural heritage were stolen," the ministry statement said.
A ninth object, the diamond and emerald encrusted crown of the Empress Eugenie, was recovered nearby, where it was dropped by the thieves as they fled, the statement added.
France's Interior minister Laurent Nunez told French news outlets France Inter, France Info and Le Monde that "three or four" thieves had focused on two displays in the exhibition venue's Gallerie d'Apollon (Apollo's Gallery), carrying out their daylight robbery in just four minutes.
The thieves broke in using a crane, smashed an upstairs window stealing the 'priceless' jewellery from an area that houses the French crown jewels before escaping on motorbikes.
"We came immediately, a couple of minutes after we received information of this robbery," the French Culture Minister Rachida Dati said.
"To be completely honest, this operation lasted almost four minutes - it was very quick. We have to say that these are professionals. Organised crime today targets objects of art, and museums of course have become targets, because France, as you know, is a country of heritage, a country with historical objects of heritage with great value," Ms Dati added.
No injuries were reported, either among the public or among Louvre staff or law enforcement officers.
French authorities found a damaged 19th-century crown near the Louvre, a source following the case said.
The crown once belonging to Empress Eugenie, the wife of Napoleon III, features golden eagles and is covered in 1,354 diamonds and 56 emeralds, according to the museum's website.
The Louvre, the world's most-visited museum and home to Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa, said on X it would remain closed for the day for "exceptional reasons."
We need your consent to load this rte-player contentWe use rte-player to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content.Manage Preferences
