Masked thieves steal 'priceless' jewels from the Louvre museum

"PARIS A brazen robbery at the Louvre Museum in Paris Sunday morning has left investigators searching for several men who made off with what officials describe as "priceless" jewels. A spokesperson for the museum told NPR the suspects entered shortly after the museum opened, breaking in through a window that led to the Apollo Gallery, which houses some of the museum's most valuable treasures. Armed with small chainsaws and box cutters, they smashed display cases before fleeing on Yamaha TMax scooters toward a nearby highway."

"Authorities say the exact list of stolen items is still being drawn up, but the pieces are believed to come from the museum's Napoleonic collection. Culture Minister Rachida Dati told the French TV channel TF1 that one of the stolen jewels was later found near the museum, apparently abandoned as the thieves fled. The Louvre spokesperson described the items as being of "inestimable cultural and historical value.""

"France's Interior Minister, Laurent Nunez, called the theft "a major, highly organized operation" that lasted just seven minutes. "There's a judicial investigation underway," Nunez told France Inter radio, adding the missing items were "of true heritage value truly priceless." Nunez said the robbers used a lift platform mounted on a truck to reach a window before breaking in."

Suspects entered the Louvre shortly after opening, breaking in through a window that led to the Apollo Gallery and targeting high-value pieces. The thieves used small chainsaws and box cutters to smash display cases, then fled on Yamaha TMax scooters toward a nearby highway. Stolen items are believed to belong to the museum's Napoleonic collection, and one jewel was later found abandoned near the museum. Authorities say the operation lasted about seven minutes and involved a lift platform mounted on a truck to reach a window. Central police units were mobilized and a judicial investigation is underway. The museum was evacuated and closed to preserve evidence.

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