Editor’s Note
This report details a major security breach at the Louvre, where a 30-second window allowed thieves to escape with a crown jewel valued at approximately $102 million. The incident has sparked renewed scrutiny of the museum’s security protocols.
A report by the French Overseas Chinese News: The Louvre in France was rocked by a global jewelry theft in October this year, with a crown jewel worth approximately $102 million still missing. The latest investigation report reveals that the gap between successfully intercepting the thieves and their complete escape was a mere 30 seconds, reigniting criticism over security vulnerabilities.
The investigation points out that when the theft occurred on the morning of October 19, the thieves infiltrated the Galerie d’Apollon, while only one of the two nearby surveillance cameras was functioning properly. The insufficient number of screens in the security monitoring room prevented simultaneous coverage of multiple areas. More critically, after the alarm sounded, internal coordination was chaotic, leading police to be initially dispatched to the wrong location, missing the golden window for pursuit.
Laurent Lafon, President of the Cultural Affairs Committee, stated bluntly that this case exposed “comprehensive dereliction of duty” in security management by the Louvre and its supervisory authorities.
One of the most shocking findings in the report is that police and hired security guards arrived at the correct location only about 30 seconds after the thieves fled on a heavy motorcycle. Investigation leader Corbin pointed out that if the surveillance system had been updated, doors had been made of reinforced materials, or the internal notification mechanism had been smoother, “these 30 seconds could have been enough to prevent the thieves’ escape.”
In fact, the Louvre had previously received multiple professional assessments, including audits by Van Cleef & Arpels experts, which clearly identified the balcony exploited in this theft as a security blind spot, easily accessible with an extendable ladder. However, the related recommendations were not implemented.
Corbin also confirmed that the current museum director, Laurence des Cars, was unaware of the security audit ordered by her predecessor, Jean-Luc Martinez, indicating long-standing communication deficiencies within management that led to multiple potential risks being overlooked.
Police have arrested four suspects, believed to be the entire group involved in the case. They completed the theft in about 10 minutes before swiftly escaping on heavy motorcycles.
With the official release of the investigation report, the consecutive exposure of security failures is likely to increase the pressure on Laurence des Cars to step down.
