According to French police, the suspects infiltrated the museum shortly after midnight, bypassing several layers of advanced security systems
In what authorities have described as one of the most daring art thefts in recent history, a group of highly organised thieves carried out a meticulously planned heist at the world-famous Louvre Museum in Paris during the early hours of Tuesday morning.
According to French police, the suspects infiltrated the museum shortly after midnight, bypassing several layers of advanced security systems.
Investigators believe the culprits possessed intimate knowledge of the Louvre’s internal layout and alarm protocols.
By the time guards discovered the breach, the thieves had vanished—taking with them several invaluable masterpieces estimated to be worth hundreds of millions of euros.
Among the stolen works is believed to be a rare 16th-century painting by Leonardo da Vinci’s pupil, though officials have not yet released the full inventory of missing items.
The French Ministry of Culture has confirmed that the museum will remain closed to the public until further notice as forensic teams comb the site for clues.
Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin called the operation “an assault on France’s cultural soul,” vowing to bring those responsible to justice. “These criminals knew exactly what they were doing.
We will not rest until every piece of art is recovered and those behind this act are apprehended,” he told reporters outside the museum.
Interpol has joined the investigation, coordinating with art crime units across Europe amid fears that the stolen pieces could already be on their way to the black market.
Experts warn that such works are nearly impossible to sell openly, suggesting the theft may have been commissioned by a private collector.
Meanwhile, Parisians have expressed both outrage and disbelief that the Louvre—home to the Mona Lisa and the Venus de Milo—could fall victim to such a sophisticated crime.
As one visitor standing outside the cordoned-off museum remarked, “It feels as though part of our heritage has been taken from us.”
Authorities have urged the public to report any suspicious activity or attempts to sell rare artworks. For now, the world’s eyes remain fixed on Paris, awaiting answers to how one of the most secure museums on Earth could be breached—and whether its stolen treasures will ever return home
