It was like something out of a movie. On the morning of 19 October, news broke of a heist at the Louvre in Paris: four thieves, disguised as construction workers, had made off with eight “priceless” pieces of French crown jewels from the 19th century. They also took a crown that once belonged to Empress Eugénie, wife of Napoleon III, but for some reason dropped it outside the museum. The haul has since been valued by a prosecutor at around €88m.
The details of the case are astonishing, from the robbery itself – the thieves arrived in broad daylight, using a truck with a mechanical ladder to access the targeted gallery’s window, which they cut through with power tools – to subsequent revelations about the museum’s security measures. Reportedly, the password for its CCTV servers was “Louvre”, the source of much mirth since.
