Louvre Museum Denies Hiring Israeli Intelligence Firm to Investigate Major Jewelry Heist

France:

The Louvre museum's management officially denied on Monday any claims of having reached out to an Israeli intelligence firm regarding the recent jewel heist that occurred at the renowned French landmark over the weekend.

Tel Aviv-based Israeli CGI Group had earlier informed AFP that the world-renowned museum sought their assistance in the investigation, citing their previous success in recovering stolen artifacts from a German museum in 2019.

"The Louvre made an exceptional request for us to identify the individuals involved in the theft and to recover the stolen artifacts," CGI Group's CEO Zvika Naveh stated to AFP.

However, when approached by AFP, a representative from the museum firmly denied this claim.

"The Louvre management denies it," the spokesperson stated without providing further details.

When asked to clarify, Naveh explained that the request came "through an intermediary acting on behalf of the Louvre and other parties, including insurance companies."

The Louvre's administration reiterated that they had not "contacted anyone."

The 2019 heist at Dresden's Green Vault museum resulted in the theft of 18th-century jewels valued at 113 million euros ($132 million).

French authorities are currently searching for the thieves who escaped with nine pieces of invaluable jewelry after breaking into the Louvre on Sunday. One item—a crown adorned with more than 1,000 diamonds—was dropped by the thieves as they fled the scene.