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The video shows the thieves moving in and out of the museum’s Apollo Gallery almost seamlessly with the country’s crown jewels.
It’s been three months since the monumental jewel heist at the Musée du Louvre stunned the world, and the museum’s CCTV footage on that fateful day has finally been revealed to the public. Released on the investigative television program Complement d’Enquête on French televisionthe three-minute clip shows how two thieves almost seamlessly entered and exited the museum’s Apollo Gallery with the country’s crown jewels.
The clip begins with a group of about five guards gathered at the threshold of the evacuated gallery, closing in and then quickly dispersing as the first thief managed to burst in through the window with a portable circular saw. Dressed from head to toe in black and wearing a highly visible construction vest, he walked to the central display cases with the jewels, quickly followed by his accomplice, who climbed in right behind him.
As the two robbers began sawing through the suitcases, one of the guards reappeared with a stanchion in his hand, a metal bar typically used to hold a rope to control the crowd. Another guard took it from him and held it like a bat. It appeared he was trying to scare off the thieves, but ultimately he abandoned the plan, rejoined the other staff and left the room.
At once stunned and determined, the first of the two thieves used his hands to break through the protective glass, grabbed the jewelry and stuffed the pieces into his pockets before helping the second thief to the next display case. (What do airlines always say? Put on your oxygen mask first before helping others.)
As the couple hurried to the window through which they entered, a crown and another piece of jewelry fell from the first thief’s pockets. He picked them up again and the two were out the window as quickly as they came, descending to the ground in the stolen basket crane the group used to facilitate the robbery.
So far, several people have been arrested in connection with the robbery. The first two suspects taken into custody have reportedly “partially admitted” to their involvement in the robbery. The stolen jewelry has not yet been recovered.
In addition to the revelation of the Louvre’s woefully outdated security system, security guards have been criticized online for failing to intervene in the heist. The museum has emphasized that they are trained to prioritize visitor safety and are not equipped or expected to engage in confrontation during an attack or burglary.
The release of the images coincides with ongoing union strikes at the museum that have led to partial and complete closures of the institution, where workers are calling for better wages and more staff.
