Critical Security Failures Revealed in Louvre Crown Jewels Heist: Thieves Escaped by Just 30 Seconds

France: The audacious thieves who orchestrated the crown jewels heist from the Louvre in October narrowly escaped capture, with merely 30 seconds determining their fate, according to a scathing investigation released on Wednesday.

The culture ministry-commissioned probe into the daylight robbery uncovered significant security deficiencies at the renowned Paris museum. Investigators found that only one of two security cameras was operational near the intruders' entry point on that Sunday morning of October 19.

Security personnel monitoring the control room lacked sufficient screens to observe footage in real-time. Furthermore, poor coordination resulted in police initially being dispatched to an incorrect location after the alarm sounded, as detailed in the report presented at the French Senate's Culture Commission.

"The investigation highlights an overall failure of the museum, as well as its supervisory authority, to address security issues," stated Laurent Lafon, head of the commission, as he commenced the hearing.

Perhaps the most alarming discovery was the extremely narrow time margin of the robbers' escape. "Give or take 30 seconds, the Securitas (private security) guards or the police officers in a car could have prevented the thieves from escaping," Noel Corbin, the investigation's leader, informed senators.

Corbin explained that implementing measures such as modern CCTV systems, more robust glass in the door that was cut open with angle grinders, or enhanced internal coordination could have prevented the theft of the jewels—valued at approximately $102 million—which remain unrecovered.

Critical security vulnerabilities had been identified in multiple studies reviewed by Louvre management over the past decade, including a 2019 audit by experts from the prestigious jewellery company Van Cleef & Arpels.

That audit specifically highlighted the riverside balcony—precisely where the thieves ultimately gained entry—as a significant weakness, noting it could be easily accessed using an extendable ladder, which is exactly what occurred during the heist.

Corbin confirmed that the embattled Louvre director Laurence des Cars had been unaware of the audit, which was commissioned by her predecessor, Jean-Luc Martinez.

"The recommendations were not acted upon, and they would have enabled us to avoid this robbery," Corbin stated, noting a concerning lack of coordination between the two government-appointed administrators.

Police believe they have apprehended all four perpetrators, who fled on high-powered motorcycles after executing the heist in the Apollo Gallery in approximately 10 minutes total, according to the investigation's findings.

Wednesday's revelations will likely intensify scrutiny on des Cars, the first woman to hold the prestigious position, who was appointed by President Emmanuel Macron in 2021.

Questions have persisted since the break-in regarding its preventability and why such a national treasure—the world's most-visited museum—appeared inadequately protected.

France's lower house of parliament is conducting its own inquiry, while des Cars and Martinez are scheduled to face questioning by senators next week.

Last month, France's state auditor reported that security enhancements had proceeded at a "woefully inadequate pace" with the museum prioritizing "high-profile and attractive operations" over fundamental security measures.

Senior police officer Guy Tubiana, a security advisor at the culture ministry who participated in the investigation, expressed being "stunned" by his findings at the museum.

"There was a succession of malfunctions that led to catastrophe, but I never would have thought the Louvre could have so many malfunctions," he remarked.

Staff at the Louvre are planning a strike on Monday to demand management address what they perceive as understaffing and overcrowding at the institution, which welcomed 8.7 million visitors last year.

During the weekend, the museum disclosed that a water leak had damaged between 300 and 400 journals, books, and documents in the Egyptian department in late November.