French police walk near the glass Pyramid of the Louvre Museum as the museum remains closed the day after a spectacular jewel heist by thieves who broke into the landmark by using a crane and smashing an upstairs window, stealing priceless jewelry from an area that houses the French crown jewels before escaping on motorbikes, in Paris, France, October 20, 2025.
| Photo Credit: Reuters
The Louvre has transferred some of its most precious jewels to the Bank of France, according to French radio RTL, after an audacious daylight heist last week exposed the famed museum’s security vulnerability.
The transfer of some precious items from the museum’s Apollo gallery, home to the French crown jewels, was carried out on Friday (October 24, 2025) under secret police escort, RTL said, citing unnamed sources.
The Bank of France, which stores the country’s gold reserves in a massive vault 27 meters (88 feet) below ground, is just 500 meters away from the Louvre, on the Right Bank of the River Seine.
The Louvre and the Bank of France did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
The thieves stole eight precious pieces worth an estimated $102 million from the Louvre’s collection on October 19, exposing security lapses as they broke into the world’s most-visited museum using a crane to smash an upstairs window during opening hours. They escaped on motorbikes.
News of the robbery reverberated around the world, prompting soul-searching in France over what some viewed as a national humiliation.
Published – October 25, 2025 05:13 pm IST
