'Priceless' jewellery stolen from Louvre museum in Paris - as authorities reveal details of daring raid

"Priceless" jewellery has been stolen from the Louvre museum in Paris, in a daring heist that has forced the closure of the world famous landmark.

Authorities revealed details of the raid after the museum, which is the world's most popular and draws up to 30,000 visitors a day, said on X it was closing for "exceptional reasons" on Sunday.

Culture minister Rachida Dati said footage of the operation showed the thieves "don't target people, they enter calmly in four minutes, smash display cases, take their loot, and leave.

"No violence, very professional," she told TF1.

French interior minister Laurent Nunez said the "major robbery" involved intruders entering the museum via a basket lift using a platform mounted on a lorry.

It is not clear what, if any, of the equipment they used was brought by them, as construction work is taking place along the River Seine side of the sprawling building, where the break-in occurred.

"They broke a window and went towards several display cases where they stole jewellery," he added. "These are jewels that have genuine heritage value and are, in fact, priceless."

The interior ministry said the criminals fled on two motorbikes. No injuries have been reported.

The number of robbers has not been confirmed but Mr Nunez told France Inter that three or four thieves got into the museum.

The gang was well prepared and had scouted the venue, Mr Nunez said, adding that they cut window panes "with a disc cutter" before escaping "on a TMAX", a type of Yamaha maxi-scooter.

Forensic work is now under way and a detailed list of the stolen items is being compiled following the break-in, which took place between 9.30 and 9.40am (8.30-8.40am UK time), the French government said.

Intruders went to the Galerie d'Apollon (Apollo Gallery), home to a selection of the French Crown Jewels, the interior ministry said.

According to French daily newspaper Le Parisien, citing preliminary findings from the police investigation, the suspects wore hoods and were carrying "small chainsaws", and entered the building from the River Seine side, where construction work is taking place.

The robbers reportedly escaped with nine pieces of jewellery, including a necklace, a brooch and a tiara from the Napoleon and French Sovereigns display cases, the newspaper reported.

Two suspects were inside while a third stayed outside, Le Parisien said.

Ms Dati said one piece of jewellery had been recovered outside the museum, apparently dropped as they made their escape but wouldn't say what it was.

According to Le Parisien, it was believed to be the crown of Napoleon III's wife, Empress Eugénie and it was broken.

Police sealed off the museum and evacuated visitors this morning.

Detectives from the serious crime unit of the city's police are leading the investigation and "all available resources" are being used to recover the stolen goods, the force said.

Social media users posted pictures and videos from in and outside the building, with one showing people leaving in what the user described as "total panic".

One person on X who said they were there reported a confused-sounding scene of police "running" near the museum's famous pyramid "and trying to enter... from glass side doors but they were locked and they could not enter".

"Everyone inside was running and banging on glass doors to get out, but could not open. Police and military police arrived," they added.

This is not the first time the museum has been targeted by thieves.

In 1911, the Mona Lisa, now protected by bullet-proof glass, vanished from its frame, stolen by a former worker who hid inside the museum and walked out with the painting under his coat.

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It was recovered two years later in Florence - an episode that helped make Leonardo da Vinci's portrait the world's best-known artwork.

In 1983, two Renaissance-era pieces of armour were stolen - and were only recovered in 2021, nearly four decades later.

The museum's collection also bears the legacy of Napoleonic-era looting, containing 33,000 works of art, including antiquities, sculptures and paintings.

In addition to the Mona Lisa, its star attractions feature the Venus de Milo and the Winged Victory of Samothrace.

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