CCTV footage has shown the moment the Louvre heist thieves smashed into display cases and ransacked £76million of jewellery. One of the masked thieves could be seen using his forearm to punch through cracked glass before reaching inside and grabbing three precious ornaments. Both thieves can then be seen working together to smash their way into a second, larger case, stealing pieces of valuable jewellery before dashing from the scene. But eight other items of jewellery – including an emerald-and-diamond necklace that Napoleon I gave his second wife, Empress Marie-Louise – remain at large. The Louvre has transferred some of its most precious jewels to the Bank of France following the heist.

Source: Daily Mail January 18, 2026 20:21 UTC