French authorities are under intense scrutiny following the daring daylight robbery at the Louvre Museum in Paris, where thieves stole jewellery worth over $102 million in under seven minutes. The theft, which occurred on October 19, has exposed alarming security lapses at the world’s most-visited museum and led to widespread outrage over the institution’s failure to safeguard priceless artefacts.
Eight historic pieces were stolen from the museum’s famed Apollo Gallery, including the emerald-and-diamond necklace that Napoleon Bonaparte gifted to his wife, Empress Marie Louise, and the 19th-century crown of Empress Eugénie. The heist forced the temporary closure of the Louvre, a move not seen since the COVID-19 lockdowns. Investigations have revealed that a shockingly simple password — “Louvre” — was used for the museum’s video surveillance system, making it easier for the robbers to disable alarms and cameras before executing the meticulously timed operation.
An employee disclosed the password details to ABC News, fuelling public anger and prompting calls for accountability. Louvre director Laurence des Cars admitted to security failures during her testimony last month, describing the museum’s infrastructure as outdated and warning that previous concerns about its vulnerabilities had gone unheeded. “Despite our efforts, we were defeated. We did not detect the thieves’ arrival early enough,” she said, acknowledging that key exterior areas of the museum lacked CCTV coverage — including the window through which the burglars entered.
Des Cars further revealed that she had repeatedly raised concerns about the deteriorating state of security at the centuries-old site, describing the heist as a tragic confirmation of her warnings. In response, she announced a comprehensive overhaul of the Louvre’s security, including the installation of a modern CCTV network, stricter perimeters around the building, and a request to the Interior Ministry to establish a permanent police station inside the museum complex.
French media reports have suggested that the perpetrators may not have been highly trained professionals despite the heist’s precision. The thieves reportedly dropped Empress Eugénie’s crown — the most valuable of the stolen items — during their escape, and investigators later found a glove, tools, and other evidence at the scene. Authorities believe the robbers panicked while fleeing and failed to destroy the truck used in the getaway, which could provide crucial forensic leads.
A week after the theft, police arrested two suspects — a 34-year-old Algerian national, apprehended while attempting to board a flight to Algeria, and a 39-year-old Frenchman already under judicial supervision for previous theft charges. Both men live in Aubervilliers, a suburb north of Paris, and have reportedly admitted partial involvement. Two additional suspects, a 37-year-old man and a 38-year-old woman, were later detained and charged on October 29.
French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez confirmed that at least one individual believed to be the mastermind of the operation remains at large. “We believe one suspect, the organiser, is still on the run,” Nunez said, while Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau noted that three others initially detained had been released without charges.
The Louvre heist has drawn comparisons to classic Hollywood-style robberies such as Ocean’s 11, but its aftermath has raised serious questions about France’s ability to protect its cultural heritage. With several priceless jewels still missing and the museum’s reputation shaken, the incident stands as one of Europe’s most embarrassing security breaches in recent memory.
