Thieves stole priceless jewels from the world-famous Louvre in Paris in a daring heist early Sunday that forced the museum to close for the day, officials said.
The thieves broke in using a ladder mounted on the back of a truck at around 9:30 a.m. local time (3:30 a.m. ET) as the museum was opening, French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez told radio station France Inter.
The culprits stole jewels of “inestimable value” from an area that houses the French crown jewels, before fleeing the scene on motor-scooters, he said. He added that 3 or 4 thieves were involved.
It was “manifestly a team that had done scouting,” Nuñez said, adding that the “experienced” thieves broke into the Galerie d’Apollon by breaking an exterior window with a disc cutter. The stolen jewels had been kept behind glass inside the gallery, he added.
An image from the scene showed what appeared to be a furniture elevator propped up against a second floor balcony, with police gathered nearby to cordon off the area.
French Culture Minister Rachida Dati said one jewel was found near to the museum and was “being evaluated,” and that the heist lasted just four minutes.
She said earlier on X that “no injuries were reported.“
The museum’s website says the gallery displayed hardstone vessels collected by the kings of France, carved from precious minerals including jade and rock crystal.
The collection also includes the French Crown Jewels and historic diamonds, according to the site.
Nuñez said it was necessary to evacuate people from the museum, “mainly to preserve evidence and clues so that investigators could work undisturbed.”
“I expect we will very soon find the thieves and jewels,” he added.
An investigation into organized theft and criminal conspiracy to commit crime has been launched by the Paris public prosecutor’s office, a source inside the office told NBC News.
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