Footage of the thieves making off with France’s stolen crown jewels has been released while pressure continues to mount to recover them before they can be destroyed or sold.
Investigators have also confirmed that they have recovered traces of DNA from a helmet and gloves believed to be linked to the group responsible for Sunday’s dramatic Louvre heist. Officials say they are working urgently to determine whether the DNA belongs to the individuals who carried out the robbery, which lasted just four minutes, per the latest reports.
According to the Paris prosecutor’s office, the thieves targeted nine pieces of historic jewellery but only made off with eight after one fell during their escape. The stolen jewellery is valued at more than 88 million euros. Reports say that after slicing a window open, they used power tools to smash display cases in the Apollon Gallery.
The group, armed with tools but believed to be otherwise unarmed, threatened staff before fleeing the scene on scooters. In their haste, they dropped Empress Eugénie’s crown, one of the key artefacts now being carefully examined for further leads.
New video evidence, which is being reviewed as part of the investigation, shows two suspects escaping from the museum using a basket lift attached to a truck parked alongside the building. In the footage, one individual is seen wearing a high-visibility vest and a black face covering, while another, dressed in black with a helmet, quickly descends before both make their escape. A voice, reportedly on a walkie-talkie, can be heard stating in French, “Looks like the individuals are on scooters. They are leaving.”
Despite the Louvre reopening to the public on Wednesday, the gallery from which the jewels were stolen remains closed. Authorities say that roughly 4,500 cameras provided footage for review, along with access to an additional 38,000 interconnected cameras across the city.
Louvre director Laurence des Cars spoke before senators on Wednesday, acknowledging that the museum’s surveillance system failed to detect the thieves in time. “We did not detect the thieves’ arrival early enough,” she said, explaining that insufficient cameras were monitoring the museum’s exterior perimeter.
According to des Cars, she submitted her resignation following the brazen heist, but Culture Minister Rachida Dati rejected it. Reports say that around 100 investigators are now working the case. Experts fear that once the jewels are dismantled or melted down, their recovery will become nearly impossible.
