Footage has surfaced, purportedly depicting individuals engaged in Sunday’s audacious daytime theft at Paris’s globally renowned Louvre Museum.
The video, acquired by a French broadcaster, allegedly captures what is being described as one of the most brazen art heists in recent history.
The brief clip seemingly portrays an individual within the Louvre’s Apollo Gallery, a section housing some of the museum’s most invaluable artifacts.
Captured by an unidentified bystander, the recording features a person clad in a vibrant yellow jacket positioned next to a glass exhibit case.
This amateur footage was presented to BFMTV, which subsequently filmed the phone’s screen and authenticated it on Sunday. This news outlet has not independently confirmed its veracity.
French authorities state that the thieves carried out an act that commenced shortly after the museum opened to the public in the morning.
Around 9:30 a.m., thieves employed a basket lift to reach the Louvre’s facade, subsequently forcing open a window to gain access to a gallery featuring displays of royal jewels.
Reports indicate the group absconded with jewels formerly part of Napoleon III’s court, encompassing items from Empress Eugénie’s private collection.
“They breached through a window and made this really brazen. These guys are fast and moving quickly with a purpose, and they breach, and they get in there really quickly,” former Tim Carpenter relayed to Digital.
Subsequent to the heist, Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez addressed a radio station, stating the thieves “entered from the outside using a basket lift” and “a disc cutter” to slice through glass panes containing precious jewels.
“The investigation has commenced, and a comprehensive inventory of the pilfered articles is currently being assembled,” the ministry further declared in a statement. “Beyond their monetary worth, these items possess inestimable heritage and historical significance.”
The Louvre stayed shut on Monday while investigators meticulously examined the site and analyzed surveillance recordings.
This news outlet’s digital team has contacted the Louvre Museum and the Ministry of Culture for comment.