¡°A bunch of idiots! are far from my age.¡±Larry Laudon, a late-century American ¡°jewelry thief¡± and ¡°good¡± after his imprisonment, recently rated the ¡°Louvre theft¡± thieves in an interview, saying they were very ¡°amateur¡± and left the collection during the robbery.The man who had robbed at least 25 jewelry stores during the 1980s and 1990s analyzed that the thieves may have hidden the stolen jewelry first and eventually smuggled out of France.

Image by Larry Laughton (data map)

It is reported that Lawton was once one of the most wanted criminals in the United States and escaped police arrest many times after stealing. In 1996, he was finally arrested and imprisoned and served 11 years in prison. After he was released from prison, he founded the "Reality Verification Project" project to help young people understand the consequences of breaking the law. He also often gives interviews as a "robbery expert" and analyzes the subsequent progress of the robbery from the perspective of a "thief".

According to Lawton's analysis, even if thieves may flee France with stolen jewelry, they will eventually be caught. Lawton said that if they flee by plane, they may take these jewels apart and stuff them into their bodies (through the anus) to avoid inspection. He also speculated that at least one of the robbers was a native of Paris and had some connection with the Louvre. "The staff in the Louvre may have inadvertently revealed some information to the robbers".

The stolen jewelry of the Louvre (data map)

Lawton said that from a jewelry thief¡¯s point of view, the most important link is to destroy the jewelry, given the scarcity of the stolen jewelry, which the thief may find difficult to break apart.¡±

Carpenter, who has long served as head of the FBI's art crimes division, said that "traditional art" such as classic paintings are "difficult to cash in" and difficult to resell on the market due to their high popularity, but the situation is different for precious metals and gems. "In recent years, more and more thieves in Europe have targeted art made with these materials," Carpenter pointed out.

Barstephen Portier, a Paris jewelry appraiser, added that there is little hope that these jewels will be intact now. He explained that although the fine jewelry market is large, the interpersonal circle is very small, and basically everyone knows each other. "If they feel that someone is selling Louvre jewelry to them, they will immediately contact the police."

The picture shows the Louvre in France

Portier said thieves may also break up jewelry and sell it,"but if thieves break up jewelry and sell it on the black market, the value of the jewelry will drop by 90%." What puzzled him was that these jewelry was difficult to handle and its value would drop sharply after handling it. Why did thieves take such a big risk?

Some analysts believe that art has a very high appreciation potential and is difficult to track. For criminals, this is the perfect "underground trading currency." In Germany, some criminal organizations have mature logistics operation capabilities and structural systems. In southern and eastern Europe, art may even be used as a barter for drug and weapons transactions.

Red Star journalist Li Jinrui

Extended reading

Big breakthrough in Louvre robbery, suspect's DNA found and multiple pieces of jewelry still missing

According to the U.S. broadcaster, the French police have revealed, Police found DNA traces on objects left when the suspects fledThis may be the first major breakthrough in this case.

DNA was found in the helmet and gloves used by the suspect, and the police are analyzing it, hoping to confirm the identity of the suspect.

Several pieces of jewelry remain missing

At around 9: 30 on October 19th, a robbery occurred in the Louvre Museum. Within a few minutes, several masked people snatched nine pieces of "immeasurable value" jewelry, including Napoleonic necklaces, brooches and earrings. The Louvre immediately evacuated people and announced its closure. The suspect abandoned a crown belonging to Empress Eugenie while fleeing. At present, the crown has been found by the police, and the whereabouts of the remaining 8 pieces of jewelry are still unknown.

Prosecutors in Paris, France, said on the 21st that the economic loss of looted jewelry is estimated to reach 88 million euros, and the historic loss caused by the robbery is incalculable. Prosecutors advise criminals not to dismantle or melt these jewelry in order to sell stolen goods.

The director of the Louvre restored the stolen collection for 8 minutes

On October 22, local time, the director of the French Louvre Museum, Laurence de Carle, attended a French Senate hearing to question the Senate about the Louvre theft.

On Sunday, October 19, 2025, at 9:30 a.m., the robbers will park the lift on the sidewalk near the Louvre.

Thieves parked the lift on the sidewalk near the Louvre

Thieves disguised as people on the workplace, placed road barriers, simulated repair operations, and climbed onto the balcony of the Apollo Corridor by lifting into the window.

Thieves disguised as working clothes climbed into the balcony of the Apollo corridor by lifting into the window.

At 9: 34, the door alarm was triggered and the signal was transmitted to the security post. When the thief broke the window and entered the corridor, a duty officer made a radio call to inform the command center.

At 9:35 p.m., the hall started the evacuation procedure, the alarm of the two exhibition cabinets of the Apollo corridor sounded, the thieves used a cutting machine, did not completely break the safety glass, but made a cracks, they stretched their hands into the (glass) cracks, to pick up the exhibits.

At 9:35 and 33 seconds, the head of the museum called the police, reporting that there was a robbery, calling for the police to intervene immediately.

At 9: 37, the notice was given to close the public gate and staff passage.

At 9:38 p.m., less than four minutes from the first alarm triggered, the thief left through the same window, carrying nine (stolen) exhibits, the scene security pursued the thieves, prevented them from firing, the thief in a rush left the damaged crown of the queen of Orenne.

Thieves in a hurry left the damaged crown of Queen Orinée

De Carr said that the weak links in the security around the Louvre are known, the monitoring system is seriously inadequate, and there are also major problems in security positions. She admitted that the museum "did not fully detect the arrival of thieves in advance" and said the incident reminded everyone that criminal violence does not stop outside the walls. She also called for the establishment of a "police station" within the museum.

De Carr said that the infrastructure of the Louvre is outdated, modern equipment cannot be installed, and there are serious problems in the setting of security posts, which are also outdated.

The picture shows Lawrence de Carr, director of the Louvre Museum in France

She said that after the robbery of the Louvre Museum, she offered her resignation to the French Minister of Culture but was rejected. She said that in the future, she will work closely with the police, the Paris municipal government and other departments to strengthen the security measures in the peripheral areas of the Louvre. In the future, she also plans to upgrade the security system of the Louvre in an all-round way to prevent similar incidents from happening again.

On October 22, three days after the Louvre robbery, the Louvre was reopened to the public. French government spokesman Mod Brejong said at a news conference that an administrative and judicial investigation into the case was underway. On the same day, French President Emmanuel Macron said Louvre was deploying security measures and called for "acceleration of these measures".