Louvre transfers jewels to Bank of France after heist, RTL reports

PARIS – The Louvre has transferred some of its most precious jewels to the Bank of France, according to French radio RTL, after

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 Oct 24 under secret police escort, RTL said, citing unnamed sources.

The Bank of France, which stores the country’s gold reserves in a massive vault 27m below ground, is just 500m 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 US$102 million (S$130 million) from the Louvre’s collection on Oct 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. REUTERS

FranceTheft/burglaryMuseums & galleries