$102M in jewels taken in Louvre heist, as museum director summoned by lawmakers
LONDON -- After an estimated $100 million worth of jewels were stolen at the Louvre in Paris, the museum’s director was summoned to appear before French lawmakers amid the ongoing investigation and manhunt.
Laurence des Cars will appear before France’s Senate Culture Committee on Wednesday to answer questions regarding the museum's security and what went wrong on Sunday when nine pieces were swiped from the Louvre’s Apollo Gallery.
On Tuesday, Paris public prosecutor Laure Beccuau announced that those gems are estimated to be worth $102 million.
In an interview with the French radio network RTL, Beccuau called the figure "spectacular," but said it was nothing compared to the "historical loss caused by the theft."
“We can maybe hope that [the perpetrators] think about it and won't destroy these jewels for no reason,” Beccuau said.
Hundreds of police officers are a part of the ongoing investigation in the Louvre heist. There are four main suspects in the ongoing investigation, but it’s possible there were other accomplices, Beccuau said.
The Paris prosecutor's office also revealed for the first time on Tuesday that an arrest had been made in the theft last month of $1.7 million in gold nuggets from the Paris Natural History Museum during a burglary last month.
In a statement, prosecutors said a woman, whose name was not released, was indicted by an investigating judge in the Paris court "for the organized theft of gold nuggets stolen from the Museum of Natural History, and for criminal conspiracy."
Similar to Sunday's jewel heist at the Louvre, the thief broke into the Natural History Museum on Sept. 16 by using angle grinders to cut through two doors, according to the prosecutor's office. Investigators believe the culprit used saws and a blowtorch powered by three gas cylinders to break open the glass display case housing the gold nuggets.
"Video surveillance showed that a single person broke into the museum," the prosecutor's office said.
The 24-year-old suspect, who authorities said was born in China, was arrested in Barcelona, Spain, on Sept. 30 after a European arrest warrant was issued.
Both museum heists are being investigated as organized crimes.
A nationwide manhunt for the Louvre thieves has been in high gear since the theft on Sunday. French President Emmanuel Macron vowed that authorities would catch those responsible for the "attack on a heritage that we cherish because it is our history."
The thieves went directly to two displays, breaking them and taking a "significant amount of loot," French Culture Minister Rachida Dati told ABC News.
"They knew exactly where they were going," Dati said. "It looks like something very organized and very professional."
Among the jewelry taken in the brazen daytime heist was a pearl and diamond tiara from the collection of Queen Marie-Amelie and Queen Hortense, according to the Louvre.
On whether she believes the jewels are gone for good, Dati said she has "confidence in the investigators."
"They're the best team ever for this investigation, so I am quite confident," she said. "Some leads were found, so the important thing is not wasting time, especially in this type of case."
Dati said the evidence collected so far points to "organized crime," but added that investigators have not ruled out that the heist could have been an inside job.
Dati said that as part of the beefed-up security for the Louvre, she is asking that a police station be positioned within the museum, rather than having only museum security on site.
Asked by ABC News whether she is confident that priceless artworks and artifacts on display at the Louvre, including Leonardo da Vinci's "Mona Lisa," are safe, Dati said, "It's all being looked at."
"What you must remember about France is that our buildings are historic monuments," Dati said. "So, it is more complex to secure them."
A report set to be published in the coming weeks by Cour des Comptes, the supreme auditing institution in France, found a significant delay in the "deployment of equipment intended to ensure protection" of the works within the Louvre from 2019 through 2024.
The report, a portion of which was obtained by ABC News, found that some rooms at the Louvre are not completely protected by a video surveillance system, including the Sully Wing, which is only 40% covered by security cameras, and the Richelieu Wing, which is only 25% covered by cameras. The stolen Napoleon jewels were housed in the Gallery of Apollo, which is not located in either of those wings.
The report also found that while preliminary studies have been conducted in recent years about how to bolster security at the Louvre, "operational implementation appears uneven and generally very limited."
The Louvre remained closed on Tuesday amid the ongoing investigation. The museum is refunding tickets that have already been purchased by visitors.
