A freight elevator headed for the Louvre museum rose on its crane on Tuesday – but this time it wasn’t a jewel thief. The workers were to install security bars on the window used to enter the Paris landmark’s Apollo Gallery in the spectacular October heist.
The world’s most visited museum is slowly coming to terms with security failures through theft, as investigators hunt for $102 million worth of crown jewels.
After the louvre closed on Tuesday, restoration workers in safety helmets and high-visibility vests hoisted freight to the second-floor balcony to secure new metal bars outside the now-disturbed window.
Look at what happened on October 19, when a team of thieves used a similar elevator as workers, then cut through a window to enter the gallery. They grabbed tiaras, emerald earrings, sapphire necklaces and other treasures, and after eight minutes they were gone.
All four suspected thieves were arrested and charged. But the jewels are not found.
Samuel Lasslin of maintenance lift company Grima-Nacelles said he and his crew arrived early on Tuesday to carry out the high-profile window security operation.
“We’ve already worked at the Louvre — on the interior, the exterior, the inside of the pyramid and the outside — we’ve been here many times,” he told The Associated Press. “The Louvre knows us well.”
The Louvre has not commented publicly on Tuesday’s security operation.
Photo: Workers install metal security bars at the Louvre in Paris on Tuesday, December 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Emma Da Silva)
Related:
