On the morning of October 19, 2025, the Louvre Museum in Paris became the scene of a shocking daylight heist when a group of masked thieves broke into the Galerie d’Apollon and stole priceless jewels from the French Crown collection. The robbers entered through a window near ongoing renovations, smashed display cases, and vanished within minutes — leaving behind chaos, damage, and global disbelief.
Authorities have since launched a full investigation as experts question how such a high-security institution could be breached so swiftly.
Find out what was stolen, who’s suspected, and what investigators are uncovering about the Louvre robbery below.
Who Are the Louvre Thieves?
French investigators believe a small team of three to four experienced thieves carried out the robbery using a truck-mounted lift to access a side window before museum hours. Security experts say the precision of the operation—from timing to escape—suggests the work of a professional art-crime network rather than opportunistic burglars.
What Did the Thieves Take from the Louvre?
Officials confirmed that nine pieces of jewelry were stolen from the French Crown collection, including items once belonging to Empress Eugénie de Montijo. The jewels include a diamond diadem, gold brooches, and an emerald-studded crown that was later recovered but damaged near the museum’s perimeter.
Laurent Nuñez, France’s interior minister, said to France Inter radio at the time, “They stole jewels which have a real heritage value, an inestimable heritage value.”
Have the Thieves Been Caught?
French police have arrested two men in their 30s in connection with the daring heist, authorities confirmed in late October. According to Reuters, one suspect was detained at Charles de Gaulle Airport while attempting to leave the country, and the other was arrested in Seine-Saint-Denis, just outside Paris. Investigators believe the pair were part of a small, professional crew, and additional accomplices may still be at large.
Officials are now working with Interpol and forensic experts to trace the broader network behind the crime. Given the sophistication of the operation, French prosecutors have called it one of the most audacious museum robberies in recent history.
Was the Louvre Museum Robbed Before?
Yes. The most famous example is the 1911 theft of Mona Lisa by former museum employee Vincenzo Peruggia, who entered disguised as a worker and made off with the painting.
More recently, a painting titled Le chemin de Sèvres was stolen from the Louvre in 1998, marking the last major documented theft prior to 2025.
