France has ordered a nationwide security review of all cultural sites and museums following a daring daylight theft at the Louvre Museum, where unidentified individuals made away with priceless royal crown jewels.
The audacious heist, carried out on Sunday, has sparked a national outcry and prompted the deployment of investigators to track down the culprits. Security personnel have since been dispatched to major cultural landmarks to assess vulnerabilities and strengthen protection measures.
Described by several politicians as a “national humiliation,” four suspects reportedly used a crane to break through an upper window of the Louvre before fleeing on motorbikes with artefacts from the royal jewellery collection.
Authorities have since elevated France’s national security alert level, increasing police patrols and surveillance at museums, historic monuments, and major tourist destinations as investigations continue.