Thieves Use German Lift to Steal €88 Million Crown Jewels in Louvre Heist

Thieves executed a rapid daytime heist at the Louvre by using a German Böcker furniture lift to reach an upper level and steal French crown jewels valued between €88 million and over $100 million in roughly 7–8 minutes.

“The news article is a collection of brief headlines covering various global and US-related topics”

The Times of India

Reports describe entry via a second-floor balcony or terrace and a swift smash-and-grab of multiple jeweled items.

The Times of India

Outlets detail the lift’s role and timeline differently, with some specifying a “second-floor balcony” and others a “terrace,” and valuations ranging from €88 million to $102 million.

The museum’s director acknowledged serious security failings, including outdated CCTV and a blind spot at the entry point used by the thieves.

The operation has been described as one of France’s most shocking cultural crimes, with the perpetrators still at large.

Böcker, the North Rhine-Westphalia-based manufacturer of the lift used in the heist, drew attention for its unusual response.

The company posted a humorous social media message featuring its machine at the crime scene with captions about moving fast.

The Indian Express

Despite the lighthearted tone, Böcker condemned the crime as reprehensible.

Local and international media noted the largely positive public reaction to the post.

The company used the incident to highlight the lift’s capabilities, emphasizing speed, quiet operation, and heavy-load capacity.

Reports vary regarding the chain of custody of the lift.

Some sources say the lift had been sold years ago to a French renter.

Others claim it was rented by a third party.

Another account states it was stolen during a demonstration arranged the week before.

Security failings at the Louvre are a central theme in the incident.

“The recent theft of gold and silver coins from La Maison des Lumières Denis Diderot in Langres, France, following a major robbery at the Louvre, has raised serious concerns about the security of cultural institutions”

FinancialContent

The director admitted that the CCTV system was weak and outdated, with insufficient camera coverage at the entry point used by the thieves.

She took responsibility for these shortcomings and even offered her resignation, which was declined.

Some reports indicate that alarms were functional, but a blind spot in the exterior cameras allowed the intruders to enter via the balcony.

A Western tabloid highlighted dramatic elements such as threats to guards using angle grinders and chainsaws, an escape on Yamaha motorbikes, and delayed security upgrades.

Investigators have recovered extensive forensic evidence, including more than 150 DNA and fingerprint traces from items abandoned by the thieves.

The Louvre heist is part of a broader pattern of cultural thefts in France.

Around 2,000 coins dedicated to Denis Diderot were stolen from the Maison des Lumières.

BBC

Sources differ on the location spelling and valuation of the stolen coins: some report "Landres" and €90,000, others "Landres" and about $104,000, while another refers to the museum in "Langres."

One outlet says the coin theft went largely unnoticed because it was overshadowed by the Louvre robbery.

Other sources emphasize the precision of the theft and withhold security details.

Some discussions pivot to national debates over museum security and surveillance funding.

Authorities and leaders moved quickly after the Louvre robbery.

“A bold daytime robbery at the Louvre museum in Paris saw thieves disguised as workers use power tools and a mechanical ladder to break into the first-floor Gallery of Apollo shortly after opening”

BBC

The museum reopened with the Apollo Gallery closed and over 100 investigators on the case.

New York Post

President Emmanuel Macron called for accelerated security improvements.

The Louvre’s director publicly accepted responsibility for security failures, while the Culture Minister declined her resignation.

The director outlined upgrades amid criticism that blind spots had persisted for years.

Investigators recovered extensive forensic traces.

Officials suggested a link to organized crime.

Tabloids highlighted measures such as new no-parking zones, CCTV upgrades, and even a police station inside the museum.