Louvre Museum window jewel heist location 2025
A newly uncovered 2018 security audit of the Louvre—commissioned from Van Cleef and Arpels — had explicitly
warned that the balcony above the Apollo Gallery was a major security vulnerability, noting it could be reached using a freight lift and lacked full camera coverage. This is the same entry route used in the October 19, 2025 heist in which
thieves stole $102 million in jewels in under seven minutes!
The audit had never been shared with Paris prosecutors and was reportedly not passed on during leadership changes at the museum; current Louvre president Laurence des Cars found it only after ordering a post-heist review. The revelation heightens suspicions of an insider leak.
The investigation is widening: four additional suspects were arrested on November 25, including the fourth alleged member of the break-in team, all with ties to Aubervilliers. Earlier arrests had already led to charges of organized theft and conspiracy. Most of the stolen jewels, including pieces linked to Napoleon, remain missing.
The incident has intensified scrutiny of longstanding security flaws at the museum. Apparently, the Louvre has launched an €80 million security overhaul, the first phase beginning in December, and is simultaneously addressing structural concerns in the Sully wing as part of a larger €800 million renovation program.
It’s particularly striking—and unfortunate—that such a massive theft was required to spur serious improvements to core security, especially after years in which the museum’s protective efforts were more focused on managing activist disruptions like “Just Stop Oil” soup-throwing incidents rather than addressing deeper systemic vulnerabilities.
J.Larson
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