PARIS: For the first time, French television broadcast footage of the audacious October robbery at the Louvre Museum, showing thieves breaking into display cases and stealing crown jewels. The images, captured by the museum’s surveillance cameras, were aired on TF1 and France Televisions on Sunday evening, three months after the heist.
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The footage shows two suspects, one wearing a black balaclava with a yellow high-visibility jacket, and the other dressed in black with a motorcycle helmet, forcing entry into the Apollo Gallery. Using high-powered disk cutters, they broke through a reinforced window and began slicing into display cases while staff members watched, without intervening.
Footage of the famous Louvre robbery shown in France for the first time
The entire operation took less than four minutes.
Precise movements, minimal noise, and a rapid getaway — that’s how the criminals managed to pull off one of the most famous heists in history. pic.twitter.com/0GBTYVWDvQ
— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) January 19, 2026
Louvre management emphasised that employees are instructed to prioritise visitor safety rather than confront intruders. The incident, carried out in broad daylight on a Sunday morning, has drawn criticism over security lapses and put pressure on museum director Laurence des Cars.
Trade unions have called for increased staffing and better maintenance across the sprawling former royal palace. Strikes in recent months, including one on Monday that forced a full closure, have frustrated thousands of tourists.
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Authorities have detained four suspects connected to the heist, including the two individuals believed to have carried out the break-in. However, the eight stolen French crown jewels, valued at an estimated $102 million, remain missing. The broadcast has renewed public attention on the museum’s security protocols and sparked debate over the protection of national treasures.