French police are desperate to retrieve priceless jewels stolen from the Louvre in a brazen daylight robbery, but experts have warned it may already be too late to save them.
In Paris on Sunday, thieves broke into the world's most-visited museum, stealing eight valued items before escaping on scooters, in a daring heist that took about eight minutes.
Dutch art detective Arthur Brand told the BBC he feared the jewels may already be long gone, having been broken up into hundreds of parts. It is highly likely the pieces will be sold for a fraction of their worth and smuggled out of France, other experts have said.
The group were professionals, Mr Brand believes, as demonstrated by their swift operation within the Louvre. Authorities suspect the heist is linked to an organized crime network and a specialist police unit with a "high success rate in cracking high-profile robberies" has been tasked with tracking them down.
Mr Brand predicts that objects will be dismantled, with gold and silver melted down and gemstones cut into smaller, untraceable pieces. The emotional weight of this theft resonates strongly with the French, as these jewels are not just relics of royal history but are perceived as inherently part of French heritage.
While hopes remain for the recovery of these invaluable artifacts, renewed by cases of other stolen items resurfacing after decades, the chances diminish by the day, leaving authorities and the public alike grappling with this shocking loss.
In Paris on Sunday, thieves broke into the world's most-visited museum, stealing eight valued items before escaping on scooters, in a daring heist that took about eight minutes.
Dutch art detective Arthur Brand told the BBC he feared the jewels may already be long gone, having been broken up into hundreds of parts. It is highly likely the pieces will be sold for a fraction of their worth and smuggled out of France, other experts have said.
The group were professionals, Mr Brand believes, as demonstrated by their swift operation within the Louvre. Authorities suspect the heist is linked to an organized crime network and a specialist police unit with a "high success rate in cracking high-profile robberies" has been tasked with tracking them down.
Mr Brand predicts that objects will be dismantled, with gold and silver melted down and gemstones cut into smaller, untraceable pieces. The emotional weight of this theft resonates strongly with the French, as these jewels are not just relics of royal history but are perceived as inherently part of French heritage.
While hopes remain for the recovery of these invaluable artifacts, renewed by cases of other stolen items resurfacing after decades, the chances diminish by the day, leaving authorities and the public alike grappling with this shocking loss.
