Experts anticipate that it is most likely that the jewels will be dismantled into smaller pieces or that the thieves themselves will contact the Louvre to try to sell them back.
The spectacular jewel robbery from the Louvre Museum in Paris left many people wondering how a robbery like this could happen in broad daylight and what could happen to the items stolen from the museum.
In a matter of minutes, four thieves managed to enter through a window on the first floor, break into glass cases and carry nine priceless jewels.
Although an alarm was raised and museum guards were nearby, the thieves managed to escape quickly, using motorbikes to escape. Dropped a stolen itema royal crown encrusted with diamonds and emeralds that belonged to Empress Eugenie, wife of Napoleon III.,
The loot includes jewelry from the French imperial era – brooches, necklaces, earrings and a tiara. The French Public Prosecutor’s Office stated that the jewelry were worth around 88 million eurosnot to mention its historical value.
The speed and professionalism of the robbery demonstrate that it was a well-planned crime, carried out by highly qualified criminals. This suggests that they are linked to organized criminal groups.
Several media outlets reported a series of small thefts in French museums in recent weeks, including gold nuggets from the Paris Natural History Museum. There is no evidence that these robberies are linked to the Louvre robbery.
What can happen with the withdrawal?
The stolen jewelry includes well-known and easily recognizable pieces. This will make it difficult, otherwise impossible, sell them on the black marketeven to collectors and wealthy buyers.
This problem is well known from other museum thefts – such as the theft of the giant Canadian “Big Maple Leaf” gold coin from the Bode Museum in Berlin in 2017, or the famous theft of 13 masterpieces by Degas, Manet and Rembrandt from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston in 1990. These paintings were never recovered.
Instead, most experts believe one of two scenarios is more likely.
In the first scenario, the jewels would be dismembered into smaller pieces. Diamonds and other precious stones could be removed, altered, and then offered for sale. Silver and gold could be used to make other parts or sold separately.
This scenario would make it easier to hide the origin of the pieces and sell them openly or online. The combined value, however, would be significantly lower compared to the option of leaving the pieces intact. Therefore, it is doubtful that the thieves targeted the specific jewelry for this purpose.
The second scenario would involve the thieves, or more likely the masterminds behind them, try to sell the pieces back to the Louvre or trying to extort money from the French government for its return.
This may be done through brokers or other intermediaries and may not happen for some time until there is less public and media attention and criminals feel safe enough to contact – directly or indirectly – the museum or state authorities.
Given the historical importance of the pieces, combined with the embarrassment caused by the theft, the Louvre and the French government would be anxious for the pieces to be returned as quickly as possible and may be willing to negotiate, albeit secretly.
Much of this, however, remains speculation. Only a few days have passed since the robbery and many questions about the events, the perpetrators and their motives remain unanswered. And who could be behind this spectacular robbery of France’s largest museum leaves everyone guessing.
Similarities with a robbery at a Dresden museum
The Louvre robbery is reminiscent of the jewelry theft from the Green Vault of the Zwinger Palace, in Dresden, Germany, in 2019.
In this case, the perpetrators carefully examined the museum’s security system for many days and managed to enter the building without being caught on camera. They entered through a window on the first floor and, within a few minutes, stole 21 jewels from various exhibitions.
Unlike the robbery in Paris, the Dresden thieves entered at night and used brute force to damage the windows and take the stolen money.
A few years after the robbery, German authorities managed to identify and stop thieves involved in the robbery – all five were members of a notorious Berlin crime family.
The perpetrators have already been tried and convicted, serving long prison sentences. Most of the jewels were recovered and returned – unchanged – to their famous home.
French authorities are expected to see similar success soon.
