Louvre Museum Robbery 2025

Louvre Museum Robbery 2025

Why in News?

In October 2025, some thieves secretly entered the world-famous Louvre Museum in Paris and stole nine priceless jewellery pieces. After this incident, authorities immediately launched a large-scale investigation to recover the missing treasures and catch the culprits.

The Daring Louvre Museum Robbery of October 2025

• Place: The robbery took place at the Louvre Museum in Paris, France. The incident was occurred in the Galerie d’Apollon, a 16th-century hall that displayed part of the French Crown Jewels.

• Date & Time: The robbery happened on 19 October 2025 at around 9:30 a.m. CEST, roughly thirty minutes after the museum opened to visitors.

• Stolen Items: The robbery resulted in the theft of nine pieces of priceless jewellery. These included the tiara, necklace, and earrings from the Queen Maria Amalia and Queen Hortense sapphire set. The thieves also took an emerald necklace and matching earrings from Empress Marie Louise’s set and three pieces belonging to Empress Eugénie, including a tiara, a large bodice bow, and a crown, though the crown was recovered in poor condition. The total estimated value of the stolen items was €88 million.

How the 2025 Louvre Museum Robbery Happened?

• The robbery took place at the Galerie d’Apollon, Louvre Museum in Paris, France at around 9:30 a.m. CEST.
• The criminals disguised themselves as construction workers. They wore yellow and orange vests to avoid suspicion from both the staff and visitors. 
• They carried tools required for breaking into the gallery. Among these tools were power tools, a disc cutter, and other equipment designed to break glass and gain entry quickly.
• The thieves approached the building from the south side along the Seine river. They used a monte-meuble, a vehicle-mounted hoist commonly employed in Paris for moving furniture through upper-floor windows. 
• The hoist allowed two members of the crew to reach the first-floor balcony, which was otherwise difficult to access. 
• Once at the balcony, the criminals used a disc cutter to break the glass window. This action triggered the museum alarms immediately. 
• The criminals selected specific items from two display cases. They took nine pieces of jewellery including the tiara, necklace, and earrings from the Queen Maria Amalia and Queen Hortense sapphire set.
• After collecting the jewellery, the thieves left the gallery using the same hoist. They descended to the street level, where two other crew members were waiting with motor scooters. 
• The entire operation, from breaking the window to leaving the museum, lasted less than eight minutes, with only four minutes spent inside the gallery.

Investigation & Recovery Efforts 

• The Paris prosecutor’s office launched an immediate investigation after the robbery. The prosecutor, Laure Beccuau, assigned over 100 personnel to trace the thieves and recover the stolen items. 
• Authorities collected tools left at the scene, including a disc cutter, blowtorch, gasoline, gloves, and a walkie-talkie. Photographs showed the monte-meuble hoist used to access the first-floor balcony.
• Authorities also examined prior security audits to understand gaps that the robbers exploited. Forensic teams analyzed fingerprints and DNA from the hoist, tools, and discarded items.
• Investigation experts noted that certain notable diamonds, such as the Regent, Sancy, and Hortensia, were not targeted, indicating selective theft rather than random plunder. 
• According to the investigation, the robbery exposed significant weaknesses in museum security. Staff reductions in recent years had left key areas of the Louvre insufficiently monitored. Parts of the building lacked coverage by external and internal CCTV cameras, making it easier for criminals to act unnoticed.  
• French President Emmanuel Macron instructed authorities to accelerate the implementation of security measures at the Louvre and other major museums.  

Other Museum Robbery Incidents in France

• 1998: In 1998, the painting Le chemin de Sèvres by Camille Corot was stolen from the Louvre. Police could not recover the artwork, and it remains missing. The incident highlighted persistent vulnerabilities in the museum’s art protection protocols.

• 1911: The first major theft at the Louvre occurred in 1911. Vincenzo Peruggia, a former employee, stole the Mona Lisa painting. He hid it under his clothing and left the museum undetected. The painting was missing for two years before being recovered in Italy. This incident set a precedent for high-profile art thefts in France.

• 2024: In November 2024, thieves targeted the Cognacq-Jay Museum in Paris. The criminals broke into the museum during the night. They stole several valuable artworks and decorative pieces. Also in same month, the Hiéron Museum faced a robbery. Criminals entered the building and took rare religious artefacts and jewellery. The museum staff discovered the theft the next morning.

• 2025: In September 2025, the Adrien Dubouché Museum was robbed. Thieves took porcelain artefacts of high historical and artistic value. The theft occurred during working hours. Police recovered traces of forced entry and began a detailed investigation. Also on 16 September 2025, the National Museum of Natural History in Paris was broken into. The robbers stole gold items valued at €600,000. They bypassed alarms and accessed storage areas.

Ways to Prevent Such Robbery Incidents

• Museums should install advanced CCTV cameras covering all internal and external areas. Cameras must operate 24/7 and be monitored continuously by trained personnel. Motion sensors and thermal imaging can detect unusual movement even in low-light areas.
• A sufficient number of trained security staff is essential.taff must be trained to respond quickly to alarms and threats. Reducing personnel can weaken security and increase vulnerability. Well-prepared personnel act as both a deterrent and rapid response team.
• Valuable artefacts must be kept in reinforced, tamper-proof display cases. Glass should be bullet-resistant or laminated to prevent cutting or breaking. Such cases should have integrated alarms that trigger when force is applied.
• Museums must maintain close cooperation with local police and national security agencies. Information sharing on potential threats, recent theft patterns, and criminal activity helps in risk assessment.
• Museums should develop clear emergency response plans. These include evacuation protocols, immediate police notification, and media handling. Recovery plans for stolen items, including documentation, photographs, and tracking systems may increase the chance of returning stolen property.