Manhunt underway after thieves steal ‘priceless’ jewelry from Louvre

French police officers stand in front of the Louvre Museum after robbery, in Paris on October 19, 2025. Robbers broke in to the Louvre and fled with jewellery on October 19, 2025 morning, a source close to the case said, adding that its value was still being evaluated. A police source said an unknown number of thieves arrived on a scooter armed with small chainsaws and used a goods lift to reach the room they were targeting. (Photo by Dimitar DILKOFF / AFP) / -- IMAGE RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - STRICTLY NO COMMERCIAL USE -- (Photo by DIMITAR DILKOFF/AFP via Getty Images)
French police officers stand in front of the Louvre Museum after robbery, in Paris on October 19, 2025. Robbers broke in to the Louvre and fled with jewellery on October 19, 2025 morning, a source close to the case said, adding that its value was still being evaluated. A police source said an unknown number of thieves arrived on a scooter armed with small chainsaws and used a goods lift to reach the room they were targeting. (Photo by Dimitar DILKOFF / AFP)

OAN Staff Sophia Flores 
2:27 PM – Sunday, October 19, 2025

A massive manhunt is underway in Paris after a broad-daylight heist saw nine of the Louvre’s most priceless exhibits vanish in just less than seven minutes.

On Sunday, around 9:30 am local time, a gang of “highly organized criminals” arrived at the world’s most visited museum on scooters amongst a sea of thousands of tourists.

After they parked their scooters outside of the Apollo Gallery (Galerie d’Apollon), the intruders entered the museum via a basket lift using a platform mounted on a lorry.

French interior minister Laurent Nunez explained that while the exact number of robbers isn’t known, it’s believed three or four robbers then “broke a window and went towards several display cases where they stole jewelry.” They targeted two particular cases, the historic collection of Napoleon and Empress Joséphine.

At the time of “the theft of the decade,” the targeted wing of the Louvre was undergoing construction work.

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Law enforcement is in “a race against time” to find the following items before they are dismantled and melted down.

  1. A tiara from the jewelry set of Queen Marie-Amélie and Queen Hortense
  2. A necklace from the sapphire jewelry set of Queen Marie-Amélie and Queen Hortense
  3. One earring from a pair from the sapphire jewelry set of Queen Marie-Amélie and Queen Hortense
  4. An emerald necklace from the Marie-Louise set
  5. A pair of emerald earrings from the Marie-Louise set
  6. A brooch known as the reliquary brooch
  7. A tiara of Empress Eugénie
  8. A large bodice knot (brooch) of Empress Eugénie

The robbers also took the Eugénie Crown, which is adorned with thousands of diamonds and emeralds and was worn by Napoleon III’s empress consort Eugénie. However, it was later found on the street broken into pieces after it was tossed out of the window.

It’s believed that the perpetrators are “professionals,” who are part of a highly experienced and possibly international network.

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