French Police Hunt Thieves After $100M Louvre Jewel Heist

French authorities are actively investigating a daring daylight heist at the Louvre museum where eight royal jewels worth approximately €88 million were stolen. Investigators have collected over 150 DNA samples, fingerprints, and other forensic evidence from items abandoned by the thieves, including helmets and gloves, with analysis expected to yield leads, especially if suspects are already on record. The thieves used a stolen furniture truck and a cherry picker to access a first-floor gallery, breaking display cases to steal Napoleonic-era jewels, including pieces once owned by Empress Eugénie and Empress Marie-Louise. Despite a blind spot exploited by the robbers in the museum's exterior security system, police tracked their escape route through Paris using extensive CCTV footage, and the museum remains closed for security upgrades. Authorities fear the jewels might be quickly dismantled or altered to erase provenance, complicating recovery efforts. The incident has sparked public debate over cultural institution security and prompted calls for enhanced protection measures, including possibly establishing a police station within the Louvre.