How did the robbery of the Louvre Museum happen? Video, pictures and maps Paris

Thieves stole priceless Napoleonic jewels during a stunning daylight robbery on Sunday at the Louvre, the world’s most visited museum.

The museum in Paris, whose extensive collections include the Mona Lisa, was closed for a second day on Monday as police searched for suspects in a robbery that reignited a row over the lack of security in French museums.

How did thieves break in?

In a highly professional raid, four masked thieves stopped outside the Louvre Museum on a road along the Seine River. At around 9.30am – half an hour after visitors began entering through the museum’s facade – the thieves positioned themselves on the south side of the building and used a vehicle-mounted extension ladder to reach the second-floor balcony window.

Two thieves broke into the window using an angle grinder and other power tools, gaining access to the museum’s Apollo gallery.

The Apollo Gallery is home to the historic collection of the French Crown Jewels and was built in 1661 by Louis XIV. The items targeted by the thieves were located in the middle of the gallery.

Then they smashed the glass showcases and took the jewelry.

What did he steal and what did he leave behind?

Officials said eight items were stolen:

• A necklace and pair of earrings originally given by Napoleon I to his second wife, Empress Marie Louise.

• A diadem (similar to a crown), brooch and ornate bow belonged to Napoleon III’s third wife, Empress Eugenie. The wreath is studded with nearly 2,000 diamonds.

• One tiara, necklace and earring from a set of rubies worn by – among others – Marie-Amelie, the last Queen of France. The necklace is decorated with eight rubies and 631 diamonds.

The thieves dropped Empress Eugenie’s highly valuable tiara on their way out. It is covered with 1,354 diamonds and 56 emeralds, according to the museum’s website.

They also missed out on the Regent diamond, valued by Sotheby’s at more than $60 million (£45 million).

What happened after the robbery?

As the museum’s sirens sounded to alert the guards, the thieves quickly left, fleeing on motorcycles and leaving behind some of the equipment used in the raid. The gang tried to set fire to the car before they left, but a museum employee prevented them.

Sources and officials told AFP that the robbery took place in just seven minutes.

The museum announced its closure and visitors left.

Forensic teams and police officers were later seen at the scene of the break-in.

Who are the suspects?

Officials said a team of 60 investigators was working on the theory that an organized criminal group was behind the robbery. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said he believed the raid was carried out by an experienced team.

What do people say about museum security?

The robbery has once again sparked controversy over the lack of security in French museums, which are considered much less safe than banks and are increasingly targeted by thieves.

Last month, criminals stormed the Natural History Museum in Paris and stole gold samples worth $700,000, while thieves also stole two plates and a vase from a museum in the central city of Limoges, with losses estimated at about $7.6 million.

Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin admitted on Monday that there were security flaws in protecting the Louvre Museum. “What is certain is that we failed, as people were able to stop a furniture crane in the center of Paris and lift it in several minutes to grab priceless jewellery, giving France a terrible image,” he told France Inter radio.

Nunez admitted that securing museums was a “big weakness.” He pointed out that security measures at the Louvre Museum have been strengthened in recent years, and will be strengthened further as part of a comprehensive overhaul of the museum costing millions of euros.

Has this happened before?

The Louvre has a long history of thefts, perhaps the greatest of which was by an Italian decorator who worked there briefly and stole the Mona Lisa in 1911. Vincenzo Peruggia entered the museum dressed as a museum worker. When no one was looking, he removed the painting and crept out. He was later arrested and the painting was recovered.

Another notorious incident occurred in 1956, when a visitor threw a rock at the Mona Lisa, chipping the paint near her left elbow and accelerating the move to display the work behind protective glass.

Sunday’s theft was the first theft from the Louvre since 1998, when a painting by Camille Corot was stolen and never seen again.

Agence France-Presse contributed to the preparation of this report