On the morning of October 19, 2025, four unidentified men robbed the Louvre in central Paris. According to Le Parisien, at about 9:30 a.m. they arrived at the museum on two Yamaha TMax scooters, put on yellow safety vests, and used the renovation area on the Seine embankment side.
Using a lift left by workers, the attackers rose to a window, smashed it with grinders, and entered the Apollo Gallery on the first floor. There they broke into two display cases linked to the collection of Napoleon III and the French monarchs. The entire operation lasted about seven minutes, after which they escaped toward the A6 motorway. Visitors were evacuated and no one was injured.
Police found grinders, a blowtorch, gasoline, gloves, a radio, a blanket, a yellow vest, and one of the stolen items at the scene. Later, near the Louvre, officers recovered the crown of Empress Eugenie, made in 1855; according to preliminary information, it was damaged. The Regent Diamond, weighing more than 140 carats, was not taken.
“There is a risk that individual diamonds could be sold at retail, which would make the restoration of the jewelry much more difficult,” a source close to the investigation told Le Parisien.
The Paris prosecutor’s office opened a case on organized theft and criminal conspiracy. Prosecutor Laura Becco said about 60 investigators are working on it, examining both a commissioned robbery and a money-laundering motive. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez described the group as “very experienced,” while Culture Minister Rachida Dati again pointed to longstanding security problems at major museums. President Emmanuel Macron said the stolen treasures would be recovered and those responsible would be brought to justice.