EXCLUSIVE: 'The Heist of the Century!' How Masked Thieves in Construction Gear Pulled Off $100Million Louvre Robbery Within 7 Minutes in Broad Daylight
Masked thieves in construction gear pulled off a $100 million Louvre robbery within 7 minutes in daylight.
Nov. 27 2025, Published 7:00 a.m. ET
A gang of four thieves is being credited with one of history's most skillful robberies – looting the world-famous Louvre in Paris of a glittery trove of priceless crown jewels while tourists stood nearby, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Masked criminals reportedly disguised as construction workers used a basket lift to get up to a second-floor window of the museum. They broke in using mini gas-powered chain saws, threatening a security guard in the process.
The Heist Seen All Around The World
Paris Mayor Ariel Weil called the $100 million Louvre heist a scene straight out of a movie.
As alarms blared, footage from inside shows one criminal cutting through a glass case as visitors watched.
Authorities say the gang swiped pieces of "incalculable" historical and financial value once owned by French royalty before climbing down to meet two gang members waiting for them. Then they fled on high-powered motor scooters.
The heist, at 9:30 a.m. on Oct. 12, took just seven minutes.
"It seems like a scenario out of a film or a television series," said Ariel Weil, the mayor of central Paris, where the Louvre is located.
French Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin admitted there were security failures.
"For example, the windows hadn't been secured, about the fact that a basket lift was on a public road," he said. "Having [previously] been interior minister, I know that we cannot completely secure all places, but what is certain is that we have failed."
What's more, sources said when a gallery's alarm is triggered, it only rings in the building's security headquarters, where guards are trained to focus more on safely evacuating visitors than on protecting the Louvre's artifacts.
Working On Security Improvements
French Culture Minister Rachida Dati said the Louvre was never designed for modern security demands.
Officials said they have been working on improving the museum's security for years but added that it takes time and money.
The Louvre "wasn't designed to welcome 10 million visitors or prepared for these new forms of criminality," notes French Culture Minister Rachida Dati.
The gang got away with eight items, including tiaras, necklaces, earrings and other pieces belonging to Queen Marie Amelie, the last queen of France; Queen Hortense; Napoleon Bonaparte's second wife, Marie Louise; and Napoleon III's wife, Empress Eugénie.
The thieves lost Empress Eugénie's crown during their escape.
Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau said authorities are investigating whether the heist was commissioned by a collector who hired professionals to pull it off.
Vowing For Justice
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Prosecutor Laure Beccuau confirmed the investigation into whether organized crime was behind the Louvre theft.
"We're looking at the hypothesis of organized crime," she said, noting the jewels – estimated to be worth a little over $100 million – could be used to launder profits from other criminal enterprises, including drug trafficking.
Experts say the diamonds, sapphires and emeralds in the pieces are probably lost forever.
"Professional crews often break down and recut large, recognizable stones to evade detection, effectively erasing their provenance," said Tobias Kormind, managing director of 77 Diamonds.
But that didn't stop French President Emmanuel Macron from vowing to bring the robbers to justice.
"Everything is being done, everywhere, to achieve this," he declared.
