It may have taken more than pure genius and a stroke of luck to pull off a heist that is now the center of the world’s attention.
Investigators believe the brazen Louvre heist, in which a group of thugs stole historic crown jewels, was an inside job.
Chainsaw-wielding raiders scaled the side of the world’s most visited gallery before smashing open a window to break in and steal £76million worth of precious jewellery, all in just seven minutes.
Paris police have now said they have found digital forensic evidence that a member of the museum’s security team was in contact with the thugs.
A source told The Telegraph: “We have found digital forensic evidence that shows there was co-operation with one of the museum’s security guards and the thieves.
“Confidential information about the museum’s security was passed on, so they found out about the breach.”
The thieves took a forklift to the museum and climbed the façade in the basket to break into the gilded Galerie d’Apollon, where the jewels were kept in display cases.
In just seven minutes, the thieves seized nine brilliant pieces from the collection of Napoleon and the Empress Josephine, but dropped one as they were carried away.
Then they rode away on a motorcycle through the center of Paris.
Shocking new footage has emerged showing the thieves escaping down the crane with their stolen loot.
Security guards can be heard cursing in panic and disbelief as they watch the precious jewels disappear.
A former thief linked to multiple heists involving jewelery worth more than £14,000 told the New York Times it was no coincidence that buglers knew where to aim and how.
Larry Lawton said: “Let me tell you, they had an inside person.
“An insider doesn’t mean they even know you. Could it be a girlfriend who’s a tour guide and knows, oh, where it is?”
The thugs managed to escape with priceless pieces, including a tiara, necklaces and brooches that belonged to Napoleon Bonaparte’s family.
Laurence des Cars, director of the museum, admitted there was a security breach and that the museum “failed” to protect the irreplaceable jewels from “brutal” criminals.
“Despite our efforts, despite our hard daily work, we failed,” he said.
The cars revealed that security cameras did not adequately cover the thieves’ entry point.
He said the perimeter security cameras are outdated and do not cover all of the Louvre’s exterior walls.
The only camera above the Apollo Gallery faced west and did not cover the balcony where the robbery took place.
The director said: “We did not detect the arrival of the thieves early enough… The weakness of our perimeter protection is known.”
Parisian police are now desperately trying to hunt down the eight pieces of priceless jewelery stolen in the broad daylight robbery.
The eight crown jewels stolen in the robbery:
- Tiara from the set of Queen Marie-Amelie and Queen Hortense
- Queen Marie Amélie and Queen Hortense Sapphire Set Necklace
- Earring, of the pair belonging to the sapphire set of Queen Marie Amélie and Queen Hortense
- Emerald necklace from the Empress María Luisa set
- Pair of emerald earrings from the Emperatriz María Luisa set
- Brooch known as “reliquary brooch”
- Tiara of Empress Eugenie
- Empress Eugenie Large Corsage Bow Brooch
- Another object, the crown of Napoleon III’s wife, Empress Eugenie, was recovered from outside the window, but broken.
It comes amid serious fears that the jewels had been stolen so they could be sold around the world to the rich and wealthy via the black market, where they will likely never be seen again.
Thieves often prefer items that can be broken, melted or made smaller and that can also be converted into cash, such as jewelry.
This is because things like crowns and diamonds can be easily broken and sold in several pieces.
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The final price may drop significantly compared to the entire historic gem, but it allows for a safer and easier transaction if it does come on the market.
If the famous Louvre artifacts are already in a safe house, then they may have already been cut up, melted down, or even sold entirely.
Stealing attention
A GERMAN company has attracted attention after launching a tongue-in-cheek advertising campaign for its cherry picker used in the Louvre.
Furniture lift manufacturer Böcker posted a photo of the truck and wrote a striking slogan in German that translates to “When things have to go fast.”
Photos of a forklift went viral as authorities began investigating the daylight robbery.
Alexander Böcker, CEO and third-generation owner of Böcker Maschinenwerke GmbH, said he and his wife were shocked to see that their company’s product had been misused for the Brazen theft.
But they took advantage of the moment to launch an unexpected support campaign for their truck.
The company joked that the machine pictured leading to the Louvre’s first-floor balcony was capable of lifting “up to 400kg of treasure at 42m per minute, as quiet as a whisper.”
Böcker said: “We expected a little attention and some good humor, but the response was overwhelming,
“I can understand that not everyone shares this sense of humor, but the vast majority laughed heartily.”
Although he added that the forklift is not allowed to transport people.
“Crown jewels, yes. Thieves, no,” said the owner of the German company.