“3∼4-member gang robs royal gallery in 7 minutes”… Closed for the day
(Paris=Yonhap News) Correspondent Kim Ji-yeon — On Sunday, the 19th local time, a robbery occurred at the Louvre Museum, a tourist attraction in Paris, France, causing the museum to close for the day.
According to sources cited by AFP and AP news agencies and French media, a gang broke into the museum around 9:30 to 9:40 a.m. that day and stole French royal jewelry before fleeing.
French Culture Minister Rachida Dati stated on X (formerly Twitter), “A robbery occurred at the Louvre Museum upon its opening this morning,” adding, “No one was hurt.”
Minister Dati mentioned, “I am at the scene with museum staff and police,” and added that “an investigation is ongoing.”
The Louvre Museum announced on X that it would be closed “for exceptional reasons” today.
A source told AFP that the robbers appeared on scooters armed with a small electric saw and used a freight elevator to infiltrate the museum.
French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez mentioned to France Info that the 3–4 member gang targeted the ‘Apollo Gallery’ and described the jewels stolen in the 7-minute heist as invaluable treasures.
The Apollo Gallery at the Louvre Museum is known for its exhibition of luxurious royal French jewelry.
The newspaper Le Parisien reported that the gang broke into the museum through a construction area facing the Seine River and stole nine pieces of jewelry, including crowns, necklaces, and brooches belonging to Napoleon and the empress.
The Louvre Museum is a popular tourist attraction, attracting 9 million visitors last year alone, and houses 33,000 items of artifacts and artworks from around the world, from Mesopotamia and Egypt to Europe.
The museum has experienced several thefts and robberies in its history, with the most famous being the 1911 theft of Leonardo da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa.” The painting, stolen by Italian Vincenzo Peruggia, was returned to the Louvre after more than two years, further enhancing the Mona Lisa’s fame.