Jewel Heist at Louvre: A Quick and Clever Escape

In a surprising turn of events, a group of thieves managed to snatch some very old and valuable jewels from the Louvre Museum in Paris. They did this in broad daylight, right after the museum opened. The thieves broke in through a window leading to the Apollo Gallery, which holds some of the museum's most prized possessions. They used small chainsaws and box cutters to smash display cases and then quickly left on scooters. The exact list of stolen items is still being figured out, but it's believed they took pieces from the museum's Napoleonic collection. One of the stolen jewels was later found near the museum, possibly abandoned by the thieves as they escaped. The Louvre spokesperson called the stolen items "inestimable" in terms of cultural and historical value. The theft was described as a "major, highly organized operation" that lasted only seven minutes. The robbers used a lift platform on a truck to reach the window they broke into. Authorities believe there were three to four suspects, all part of a very experienced team that acted swiftly. All central police units in Paris have been mobilized to track them down. The museum was evacuated and will remain closed to preserve evidence for investigators. The Apollo Gallery, one of the Louvre's most iconic spaces, houses many of France's royal jewels and reopened in 2020 after major renovations.