Louvre Museum robbed in just seven minutes, minister says VIDEO / UPDATED

Thieves managed to rob the Louvre Museum in Paris in a mere seven minutes, French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez told journalists, according to the French newspaper Le Parisien.

“They stole ‘priceless jewels,’” the minister said.

The newspaper reported that the robbery was completed in just seven minutes.

Nunez added that the perpetrators had clearly planned the theft over a long period and had studied the surroundings of the museum in advance.

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During the robbery at the Louvre in Paris, the thieves did not touch the largest diamond from Napoleon’s jewellery collection — the 140-carat “Regent.”

The report comes from the French newspaper Le Parisien.

“However, the famous ‘Regent,’ the largest diamond in the collection, weighing more than 140 carats, was spared. The damage is currently being assessed using photographs of the missing items,” the newspaper wrote.

Sources told reporters that a broken crown belonging to Empress Eugénie de Beauharnais was found on a street near the museum.

According to the publication, the criminals fled either by car or on scooters. Eyewitnesses said that panic broke out in the museum following the incident.

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On October 19, French Culture Minister Rachida Dati reported a theft at the Louvre in Paris, as the world-renowned museum announced it was closing for the day.

"A robbery took place this morning at the opening of the Louvre Museum," she wrote on X. The Louvre said it was closing for the day "for exceptional reasons," without providing further details on what had been stolen, France 24 reports.

No injuries were reported. Dati said she was at the museum and that investigations were underway.

Paris police confirmed that one or more criminals had broken into the museum but did not specify whether any artworks had been stolen, according to AFP.

A police source told AFP that an unknown number of thieves arrived at the Louvre on a scooter, armed with small chainsaws, and used a freight elevator to reach the room they were targeting.

Louvre authorities could not immediately be reached for comment, French media reported. However, the museum confirmed in a post on X that it was closed Sunday due to “exceptional reasons.”

According to the French daily Le Parisien, the criminals entered the sprawling building from the facade facing the Seine River, where construction work is currently underway. They reportedly used a freight elevator "to gain direct access to the targeted room in the Apollo Gallery.” After breaking the windows, they allegedly stole "nine pieces from the jewellery collection of Napoleon and the Empress," the paper added.

By Khagan Isayev