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Thieves in France pulled off a daring daytime heist Oct. 19 when they stole multiple pieces of priceless jewelry from the Louvre in a matter of minutes about a half hour after the museum opened to the public for the day. NBC News has learned 60 detectives are working on the case and that four thieves were involved in the theft, which took seven minutes, and took place at the world’s most visited museum. The thieves, who escaped on motorbikes, are still at-large and the Louvre remains closed. “The theft committed at the Louvre is an attack on a heritage that we cherish because it is our history,” French President Emmanuel Macron said in a statement. “We will recover the works and the perpetrators will be brought to justice. Everything is being done, everywhere, to achieve this, under the leadership of the Paris public prosecutor’s office. The ‘Louvre Nouvelle Renaissance’ project, which we launched in January, provides for enhanced security. It will ensure the preservation and protection of what constitutes our memory and our culture.” After the incident was reported to police, visitors were ordered to leave the museum. List of Jewels Stolen The thieves got away with a total of nine priceless items, including sapphire and emerald necklaces, earrings and tiaras. According to NBC News, the Ministry of Culture confirmed the stolen jewels include: a necklace and a pair of earrings from the Marie-Louise collection a necklace, earrings and tiara from the Queen Marie-Amélie and Queen Hortense collection a brooch, bodice bow and a tiara from the collection of Empress Eugénie The thieves did not take the 140-carat Regent Diamond. They also dropped Empress Eugénie’s diamond-encrusted crown, which was located near the museum. How The Thieves Did It The thieves used an electric ladder placed on the back of a truck to access the second-floor balcony of the Louvre. France’s Interior Ministry said they then broke a glass window with grinders while an alarm went off. The bandits then made a beeline for La Galerie d’Apollon, which houses French crown jewels and diamonds. They smashed a pair of display cabinets, with one man captured on video wearing what looks like a bright construction vest. The thieves escaped on motorbikes.
