Paris — French authorities could nicely handle to trace down and arrest the thieves who pulled off an audacious theft of royal crown jewels from Paris’ iconic Louvre museum, however they’re unlikely to get better the nationwide treasures, a criminologist informed CBS Information on Tuesday. The heist befell on Sunday, in broad daylight with vacationers within the museum, however no person was harm.
“We’ll catch them,” Alain Bauer, a professor of criminology at France’s Nationwide Conservatory of Arts and Crafts, informed CBS Information.
However he added: “I do not assume we are going to seize the jewels.”
Bauer mentioned plenty of DNA was left on the scene by the robbers, together with on the crown of the empress Eugénie, which was left behind by the thieves as they made their getaway on bikes.
French police additionally recovered a big crane elevate utilized by the thieves to entry an higher flooring window of the 230-year-old museum, together with an influence noticed, gloves, a walkie-talkie and a can of gasoline. Authorities have mentioned the criminals could have meant to make use of the gasoline to burn their instruments, however they ran out of time.
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The criminals entered from the again facet of the Louvre’s primary constructing on Sunday — away from the principle entrance with its well-known glass pyramid — earlier than chopping their method via a window utilizing the facility elevate and noticed. They then made their method straight for the Galerie d’Apollon, the big corridor that housed the crown jewels.
If the thieves have been skilled criminals, they could be identified to the police, with data obtainable on French legislation enforcement databases, Bauer informed CBS Information.
However “in the event that they’re beginner, or within the center, below management or subcontracted by any individual else, it might be a bit of extra sophisticated,” he mentioned.
What are the jewels stolen from the Louvre value?
The stolen French crown jewels are priceless in historic phrases, however Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau mentioned Tuesday their estimated value is 88 million euros, or $102 million.
“The wrongdoers who took these gems will not earn 88 million euros if that they had the very dangerous concept of disassembling these jewels,” Beccuau mentioned in an interview with French broadcaster RTL. “We will maybe hope that they’re going to take into consideration this and will not destroy these jewels with out rhyme or cause.”
Consultants have informed CBS Information the jewels would nonetheless be value tens of millions of {dollars} if damaged up and bought on the black market.
One of many stolen gadgets is a tiara that includes 212 pearls and practically 2,000 diamonds, commissioned by Emperor Napoleon III to have fun his marriage to Eugénie de Montijo in 1853. Additionally swiped: a sapphire-and-diamond tiara and necklace set, a big diamond brooch, and an emerald necklace and earrings that have been initially a marriage present from Napoleon to his second spouse, Empress Marie-Louise of Austria, in 1810.
The Louvre 
The gorgeous theft was probably the most spectacular theft on the Louvre museum because the Mona Lisa was stolen in 1911. The enduring portray by Leonardo da Vinci was positioned in Italy and returned to the Louvre a number of years later.
Sunday’s heist has been described as each a tragedy and a nationwide embarrassment for France.
“You realize, you assume, within the Louvre, of all locations, do not they’ve the most effective safety on the planet?” one shocked American vacationer informed the French information company AFP quickly after the theft, calling it “loopy.”
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However safety specialists say the Louvre’s safety vulnerabilities have been intensive. A current safety audit famous that 35% of the rooms within the Denon Wing, the place the jewels have been stored, haven’t any safety cameras, in line with a Radio France report.
France’s Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin informed reporters on Monday that the nation had essentially did not safe its nationwide treasures.
“I do know that we can’t safe completely all of the websites. However what was positive was that we failed, as a result of somebody was able to placing in a crane truck, within the open, within the streets of Paris, to have folks stroll up for a few minutes and take priceless jewels and provides France a deplorable picture,” Darmanin lamented.
