Louvre Heist Losses Estimated at €88 Million

Paris — French authorities have estimated the losses from the dramatic Louvre Museum robbery at nearly €90 million, as investigators intensify their hunt for the criminal gang behind one of France’s most daring heists in decades.

According to Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau, the museum’s curator valued the stolen treasures at around €88 million. The haul includes eight royal jewels dating back to the 19th century — among them diamond- and emerald-studded pieces that once belonged to Empress Eugénie, wife of Napoleon III.

The theft occurred on Sunday morning when a group of intruders entered the Louvre through the riverfront using a basket lift. They cut through a window, smashed two glass display cases in the Apollon Gallery — home to France’s royal Crown Diamonds — and fled on motorbikes before security personnel could intervene. One of the stolen items, Empress Eugénie’s emerald-set crown, was later found broken near the museum.

Paris prosecutors have tasked the elite BRB — a 100-member anti-robbery unit known for handling the 2016 Kim Kardashian Paris hotel case — with leading the investigation. The Central Office for the Fight Against Trafficking in Cultural Property is also assisting.

Beccuau urged the thieves not to destroy the jewels, warning that disassembling them would drastically reduce their value. Police searches continue across Paris and beyond. – News Agency