You might be interested: Thieves pull off 7-minute daylight heist at the Louvre.
On Sunday, thieves pull off 7-minute daylight heist at the Louvre and escaped with Napoleon's crown jewels. Now, newly released footage reveals the moment one of the thieves uses a chainsaw to access Napoleon's crown jewels.
The short clip, shared by French media, shows a suspect wearing a yellow reflective jacket over a black hoodie casually cutting through the protective glass case. French outlet BFMTV reports that the footage comes directly from the museum's CCTV system.
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The thieves used an aerial work platform to reach the gallery before cutting into the jewel display. A total of nine items from France's Crown Jewels were stolen, including a diamond bodice bow and the crown of Empress Eugénie de Montijo.
One of the pieces, belonging to Napoleon III's wife, has since been recovered. The stolen bodice bow, composed of 2,634 diamonds and purchased by the museum in 2008 for $10.5 million, was previously in private hands in the United States.
Authorities have yet to identify the suspects, who reportedly executed the heist in less than 10 minutes. The emerging footage has renewed public fascination with the brazen daytime robbery, offering a rare glimpse into the precision and preparation behind the theft.