Experts suspect organised crime behind €88m Louvre jewel heist as gems believed en route to Eastern Europe

Authorities investigating the daring theft of France’s crown jewels from the Louvre believe professional criminals are behind the heist, with the stolen gems likely being smuggled out of the country toward Eastern Europe.

The audacious robbery, which took place early last Sunday inside the Louvre’s Apollo Gallery, saw nine priceless pieces stolen — including two tiaras, a pair of earrings, and two diamond brooches, one of them a tasselled bow. The jewels are estimated to be worth at least €88 million in base material alone.

While politicians in Paris have expressed outrage and the public has flooded social media with jokes and disbelief, detectives continue to trace possible escape routes used by the thieves.

According to art loss experts, the operation was “highly professional” and meticulously planned, possibly carried out by a seasoned criminal looking to end their career with one last spectacular job.

Arthur Brand, a renowned art loss specialist, said the stolen jewels are likely to be “re-cut or broken up” before entering the black market.

“Nobody wants to buy stolen art, but gems and precious metals can be recut and sold,” Brand explained.

Security analyst Nick Knights of Sentinel Security said investigators believe the theft bears the hallmarks of organised crime networks operating in Eastern Europe.

“The speed and precision of the operation point to a highly trained group,” Knights noted. “Unlike ordinary goods, stolen cultural artefacts enter a parallel market where value is extracted in different, often covert ways.”

French authorities have yet to make any arrests, but officials remain hopeful that the stolen jewels — or parts of them — can be recovered before they are altered or dispersed into the underworld trade.