€88m worth of jewelery was stolen, say prosecutors

Jewels stolen from the Louvre in Paris in a daring daytime heist are worth 88 million euros (£76m; $102m), a French public prosecutor has said, citing the museum’s curator.

Laure Becuo told RTL radio that the amount was “extraordinary” but called it a huge loss of France’s historical heritage. Among the items taken were crown jewels and pieces gifted by the two Napoleons to their wives.

Thieves operating electrical appliances took less than eight minutes to loot the world’s most visited museum shortly after it opened on Sunday morning.

As the thieves have not been caught for more than two days of the theft, experts fear that the jewels may already be gone.

Ms Bekuo said she hoped announcing the estimated value of the jewelery would make robbers think twice and not destroy them.

She added that thieves would not pocket the full windfall if they had “a very bad idea to melt these jewels”.

Items previously described as priceless include a tiara worn by Empress Eugenie, wife of Napoleon III, and several items formerly owned by Queen Marie-Amelie, including a diamond and emerald necklace given to his wife by Emperor Napoleon.

Along the thieves’ escape route, investigators found a damaged tiara that belonged to Empress Eugenie—apparently dropped in a hasty departure.

Four masked thieves used a truck equipped with a mechanical lift to gain access to the Galerie d’Apollon (Gallery of Apollo) from a balcony near the Seine River.

Two of them entered the museum using a battery-operated disc cutter through a glass window on the first floor. They then threatened the guards inside, who evacuated the building.

The thieves tried to set fire to their vehicle outside but were prevented by the intervention of museum staff. They were seen leaving on a scooter.

French President Emmanuel Macron described the robbery as an attack on France’s heritage.

Security measures around the country’s cultural institutions have been tightened after initial reports found that one of three rooms in the Louvre had no CCTV and its extensive alarm system was not set off.

Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin said security protocols had “failed” and lamented that France had a “terrible image” as thieves were able to drive the improvised truck up to the museum.

Authorities believe they are chasing a team of professionals, given how fast and organized they were.

Art restoration specialist previously told the BBC Investigators only had a day or two to track the items before they could be considered gone for good.

is They are probably broken In precious metals and gems, smuggled out of the country and sold for a fraction of their value, other experts said.