‘Priceless’ jewels stolen in raid on Paris’s Louvre Museum

Efforts are continuing to catch the gang of thieves who raided the Louvre Museum in Paris during the day and stole jewels considered priceless.

French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said it took just a few minutes for masked suspects to carry out the robbery, shortly after the museum opened to visitors on Sunday morning.

The gang are understood to have used a mechanical ladder to gain access to a first floor window before smashing shop windows and escaping on scooters.

Authorities did not confirm which items were taken, but the targeted gallery was home to France’s crown jewels.

The theft led to the evacuation of the Louvre, which remained closed throughout Sunday.

The French interior ministry said the jewel was stolen from the Galeria d’Apollon at around 09:30 local time (08:30 GMT).

French media reported that the thieves used small electric saws to enter the building. A government minister said three or four people were involved.

An extendable ladder mounted on the vehicle, apparently left behind by the gang, was seen leading to a window a stone’s throw from the River Seine.

No one was injured in the incident.

French Culture Minister Rachida Dati said that an item was found near the museum and appeared to have been dropped during the escape.

Many French media reported that it was a 19th-century tiara belonging to Empress Eugenie, adding that it was broken.

The ornate crown features golden eagles and is covered in 1,354 diamonds and 56 emeralds, according to the Louvre’s website.

Nuñez stated that the stolen items had incalculable cultural and historical value, beyond their commercial value, describing them as “priceless” and “of immeasurable heritage value.”

Police were seen moving tourists away from what is the world’s most visited museum throughout Sunday as people continued to arrive unaware of the closure and investigation.

American tourists Jim and Joan Carpenter said security guards “threw us out of the gallery” as they were about to see Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa.

The couple walked past the Galeria d’Apollon and were taken out through an emergency exit, Ms Carpenter told the Reuters news agency.

Mr Carpenter said there was “a lot of confusion” at the museum, and when guards asked the couple what was going on they said there were “technical difficulties”.

“I knew something was wrong because of the way they swept the entire museum,” Ms. Carpenter said.

Mr Carpenter added: “But it’s great. This is the last day of a long journey and the most exciting part of today.”