Louvre crown jewel thieves may melt down stolen loot, ex-FBI expert warns

The gang of thieves who robbed the Louvre museum on Sunday and made off with some of France’s most famous crown jewels could end up melting their loot, a former FBI art crime expert said.

Tim Carpenter also suggested that the team of thieves behind the “shocking” operation were focused on treasures of immense cultural and historical value.

“This was a targeted robbery,” Carpenter told Fox News Digital.

“They knew precisely what they were looking for and they understood the value and cultural significance of these pieces,” he continued. “They also understood that it was extremely important for the French people.”

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Forensic police officers arrive at the Louvre Museum after being reported for a theft, in Paris, France, October 19, 2025. (Gonzalo Fuentes/Reuters)

What’s also “shocking,” Carpenter noted, “is that this was a daytime robbery while the museum was open.”

The Louvre was forced to close its doors following the morning’s daring theft, which happened in less than seven minutes and sent police rushing to recover the jewels.

The raid, around 9:30 a.m. local time, targeted the museum’s Apollon gallery, which houses historical treasures linked to Napoleon and Empress Eugenie.

The crew allegedly stole a crown that belonged to Empress Eugénie, reports Le Parisien.

According to the Associated Press, eight items were seized, including a sapphire tiara, a necklace and a unique earring from a matching set linked to 19th-century French queens Marie-Amélie and Hortense.

An emerald necklace and earrings from Empress Marie-Louise’s matching set were also reportedly snatched alongside a reliquary brooch, Empress Eugénie’s tiara and her large corsage-shaped brooch.

“They could be melted down or reconstituted,” Carpenter explained. “They will remove the stones from the wreaths, cut them and market them individually.”

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Thieves carried out a daytime heist at the Louvre Museum, stealing the French crown jewels. (Thibault Camus/AP)

According to French daily Le Parisien, the thieves, including two disguised as construction workers, entered the museum after parking nearby. They extended an elevator to a first-floor window and smashed it with an angle grinder.

“That’s when the museum is the most chaotic. People are settling in,” Carpenter added.

“They broke through a window and made it really brazen. These guys are fast and move quickly with purpose, they broke through a gap and got in there really quickly,” he added.

After the heist, Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez spoke to France Inter radio and said the thieves “entered from the outside using a forklift” and “a record cutter” to cut the windows containing precious jewelry.

“The investigation has begun and a detailed list of stolen items is being established,” the ministry also said in a statement. “Beyond their market value, these objects have inestimable heritage and historical value.”

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The Louvre is the largest and probably the busiest museum in the world. (iStock)

“Because it’s a historic building, there are just natural vulnerabilities, and these guys just found one and found a way to exploit it,” Carpenter said.

“It’s definitely a risk,” he continued. “When you look at a building like the Louvre… there must always be a balance.”

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“I think the local authorities have a very good chance of conducting a really effective criminal investigation, identifying these perpetrators and, hopefully, recovering these pieces before they are lost to us,” Carpenter concluded.

Fox News Digital has contacted the Louvre Museum for comment.