Louvre Moves Crown Jewels to Bank of France After Heist

The Louvre Museum in Paris, after a major robbery at one of the world's most famous museums that exposed serious security flaws, has moved some of its most valuable treasures to the vault of the Bank of France. This is reported by the RTL radio station, noting that the transfer of valuables from the museum's Apollo Gallery, where the French crown jewels are kept, was carried out under secret police escort.

This step was taken days after the daring robbery on October 19, when thieves broke into the building during the museum's opening hours by breaking a window and stole eight precious items. The stolen goods, valued at a total of $102 million, included historical jewelry of Empress Eugénie, Empress Marie-Louise, and Queen Marie-Amélie, including tiaras, necklaces, and earrings. The robbers, however, did not touch other famous treasures, such as the "Regent" diamond.

The robbery, which lasted only eight minutes, shocked France and sparked criticism of the security system. The thieves used a mobile crane to climb to the second floor, broke a window, smashed showcases, and fled on motorcycles. Although French Minister of Culture Rachida Dati insisted that the museum's security systems "did not fail," she admitted that there were shortcomings in the protection of the external perimeter.

As a preventive measure, the royal jewels were moved to the Bank of France, located just 500 meters from the Louvre. The treasures are now kept in a massive vault 27 meters deep, which also holds most of the country's gold reserves. This move is considered exceptional and underscores the seriousness of the robbery and the urgent need to protect the national heritage. While the authorities continue to search for the criminals and the stolen jewels, this incident has raised serious questions about the security of France's cultural institutions.