What makes Paris the scene of millionaire robberies with almost cinematic precision? This Sunday (19), the Apollo Gallery, at the Louvre Museum, was invaded in just seven minutes. Criminals took historical jewelry from the French monarchy, including an emerald necklace and earrings given by Napoleon to his wife Maria Luísa. The action took place meticulously and silently, with the thieves leaving through the same entry point, while the museum was open to the public.
The assault brings back memories of other high-profile crimes that marked the city and raises a recurring question: what happens in Paris that causes actions of this level to be repeated over time?
Thieves used a crane to break into the museum and escaped with the relics
In October 2016, reality TV star Kim Kardashian was the target of a robbery at her apartment in the French capital during Fashion Week. Five masked men, pretending to be police officers, tied up the influencer and fled with around US$6 million in jewelry (about R$33.9 million), including a diamond ring given by Kanye West valued at 3.5 million euros. Ten suspects were tried between April and May 2025, with sentences of up to three years in prison, but none were returned to prison due to time already served.
The case was described at the time as “the robbery of the century” and remains a landmark of the vulnerability of high-end residences in the city, even in highly guarded areas.
The Louvre was already the scene of another historic robbery: on August 11, 1911, Vincenzo Peruggia, a former museum employee, removed the Mona Lisa from the Salon Carré and kept it hidden in his apartment for two years. Peruggia entered dressed in an old uniform and took advantage of the museum's routine, which frequently removed works for conservation, so as not to be noticed.
The episode not only shook confidence in the security of the Louvre, but transformed Leonardo da Vinci's painting into a global icon. The investigation involved well-known names at the time, such as Pablo Picasso, and only ended in 1913, when the work was recovered.
On December 4, 2008, four men dressed as women broke into the Harry Winston jewelry store, on the luxurious Avenue Montaigne, and took €80 million worth of jewelry (about R$496 million). Armed and with detailed knowledge of the location, they threatened employees and customers without firing a shot, showing planning and audacity. The crime highlighted flaws in high-end establishments and consolidated Paris as a target for sophisticated and lucrative robberies.
The episodes present recurring patterns: detailed planning, prior knowledge of the locations, use of disguises or uniforms and quick acting, often in a few minutes, and of course: the French capital as the main stage.
Even with increased surveillance and high technology, the city continues to record high-value crimes in places of significant cultural or economic importance. The sequence of recent robberies, including the Louvre, shows that, for authorities and institutions, prevention remains a complex challenge, which involves coordination between public and private security and operational planning.
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