Napoleonic-era jewels stolen in Louvre heist lasting just four minutes

"The daylight heist about 30 minutes after the Paris museum opened on Sunday, with visitors already inside, was among the highest-profile museum thefts in living memory and came as staff complained that swelling crowds and a lack of staff were straining security. The theft unfolded just 270 yards (810ft) from the Mona Lisa, in what French culture minister Rachida Dati described as a professional "four-minute operation". One object, the emerald-set imperial crown of Napoleon III's wife, Empress Eugenie, containing more than 1,300 diamonds, was later found outside the museum, French authorities said. It was reportedly recovered broken."

"A cherry picker - which officials say the thieves brought and which was later removed - stood against the Seine-facing facade, their entry route and, observers said, a revealing a weakness: that such machinery could be brought to a palace-museum unchecked. Around 9.30am local time (8.30am BST), several intruders forced a window, cut panes with a disc cutter and went straight for the glass display cases, officials said. Interior minister Laurent Nunez said the crew entered from outside using a cherry picker via the riverfront facade to reach the hall with the 23-item royal collection. Their target was the gilded Apollon Gallery, where the Crown Diamonds are displayed, including the Regent, the Sancy and the Hortensia."

The theft occurred about 30 minutes after the museum opened, with visitors inside, in a high-profile daylight heist that strained security. The operation reached the royal collection hall 270 yards from the Mona Lisa and lasted about four minutes. The emerald-set imperial crown of Empress Eugenie, containing more than 1,300 diamonds, was later found outside the museum, recovered broken. Thieves brought a cherry picker to the Seine-facing façade, forced a window, cut panes with a disc cutter and entered to target the Crown Diamonds in the Apollon Gallery. They smashed display cases, fled on motorbikes, took eight objects, and no injuries were reported. Evacuations and nearby street closures followed.

Read at Irish Independent