Louvre Museum closed second day; police race to find stolen jewels
· UPIOct. 20 (UPI) -- One day after four men staged a heist of the Louvre Museum in broad daylight, French officials were looking Monday to find the thieves and the priceless jewels they swiped before they can be melted down or sold.
The Louvre was closed for a second day Monday as museum officials, and the rest of France, reeled after the security failure Sunday morning. The heist saw eight royal jewels -- some belonging to Napoleon and others the crown jewels of deposed French monarchs -- stolen from glass cases in 7 minutes.
"Following yesterday's robbery of the Louvre, the museum regrets to inform you that it will remain closed to the public today," museum officials posted on X. "Visitors who have already booked tickets will be refunded."
According to French and museum officials, the four thieves arrived at the world's most visited museum in pairs on motor bikes and a truck, the latter of which was mounted with a basket lift they used to reach a balcony at the Apollo Gallery.
Using glass cutters, the thieves entered the museum dressed in bright colors like construction workers and threatened employees before they cut open two glass cases and took the jewels.
Among the jewels taken were crowns, necklaces, tiaras and brooches, although the robbers dropped two pieces -- one of which is the crown of Empress Eugenie, empress to Napoleon III, and is worth tens of millions of euros, according to reports.
Experts have said because the stolen jewels are well known and unique, it is unlikely they could be sold in their current form and would need to be broken up and melted, destroying them.
Art detective Arthur Brand told Sky News that police likely have about a week to find the jewels but that "if it takes longer, the loot is probably gone and dismantled."
"It's a race against time."
French President Emmanuel Macron said in a post on X that the theft is "an attack on a heritage that we cherish because it's our history. We will recover the works and the perpetrators will be brought to justice."
He noted that the Louvre New Renaissance project at the museum includes plans for strengthened security, which follows security concerns that have been raised by officials in recent years.