Paris's Louvre Museum reopens after $102m jewel heist

"A number of investigators are looking for the culprits, working on the theory that it was an organised crime group that clambered up a ladder to break into the museum. The thieves made off with eight pieces, including an emerald-and-diamond necklace that Napoleon I gave his wife, Empress Marie-Louise, and a diadem that once belonged to Empress Eugenie, which is dotted with nearly 2,000 diamonds. The thieves dropped a diamond-studded crown as they fled."

"An investigation is progressing, Interior Minister Laurent Nunez told local media on Wednesday, saying more than 100 investigators had been mobilised. During a meeting of cabinet ministers, President Emmanuel Macron ordered a speeding up of security measures at the Louvre, a government spokeswoman said. Calling the financial loss extraordinary, Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau said the greater damage was to France's historical heritage."

"The Louvre has reopened its doors to visitors three days after a spectacular daytime robbery. The reopening of Paris's most famous museum on Wednesday comes hours before its director is set to face a grilling by French senators to explain how thieves made off with an estimated 88 million euros ($102m) in jewels from the site. Disappointed tourists were turned away at the entrance of the Louvre in the heart of Paris in the days following the theft."

The Louvre reopened to visitors three days after a dramatic daytime heist that stole an estimated €88 million in jewels. Thieves allegedly climbed a ladder and used a basket lift to enter and escaped with eight pieces, including Napoleon I's emerald-and-diamond necklace and Empress Eugenie's diadem; a diamond-studded crown was dropped during the flight. More than 100 investigators are working the case, with four people identified at the scene and authorities mapping a suspected organised crime crew. President Macron ordered accelerated security measures, while prosecutors emphasized cultural and historical loss beyond the financial damage.

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