In a record 7 minute heist, the Louvre museum was left in disarray.
On Sunday Oct.19, a group of professional thieves robbed the Louvre museum in Paris at around 9:30 a.m. local time. These thieves broke in through the window that faces the river Seine of the Apollo’s Gallery on the second floor and used a freight elevator to access the window, according to CNN News.
Some of the famous artifacts that were stolen included jewelry that belonged to the Emperor Napoleon and his wife Empress Marie-Louise that are valued at around 88 million euros (103 million dollars).
One of the items that was initially stolen included an ornate gold crown, but was later recovered near the scene of the crime. Experts started to speculate about the fate of these priceless items, and have come to the conclusion that by this point in time the jewelry has been disassembled and is already in the works of being sold.
An art recovery expert, Arthur Brand, said that since the pieces are very recognizable, the burglars will probably take them apart, sell the priceless jewels, and melt down the gold and silver, according to CNN news.
The evidence that was left behind includes: gasoline, a blowtorch, gloves and a helmet that both included DNA. This DNA is in the process of analysis by French forensic scientists.
On Saturday Oct. 25, there was an arrest made with a suspect through the DNA found on the evidence. The suspect was in the process of a passport checkup for a flight to Algeria, but was apprehended in the Charles de-Gualle airport in Paris. Another Suspect was arrested in the Parisian suburb of Aubervilliers where both of the suspects were found to be residents of. Two of the suspects have not been accounted for at this time, and the whereabouts of the priceless artifacts are unknown.
As of Nov. 3 there were five more individuals taken into custody, three males and one female. Many of these individuals have past convictions mainly for robberies. The question now is what security measures should be added to the museum.
