In a brazen daylight operation that stunned security officials and museum visitors alike, three masked thieves executed a meticulously planned heist at Paris's Louvre Museum on Sunday morning, making off with nine priceless artifacts from France's Crown Jewels collection. The robbery unfolded with startling efficiency between 9:30 and 9:40 a.m. local time as the thieves, arriving on scooters and disguised as construction workers, targeted the Apollo Gallery on the museum's second floor overlooking the River Seine.

Surveillance footage obtained by French media outlet BFMTV captured one of the suspects casually using a mini chainsaw to cut through a protective glass display case while alarms sounded throughout the gallery. The thief, wearing a black hoodie beneath a yellow high-visibility construction jacket, appeared unfazed by the security alerts as he methodically breached the case containing historical jewels belonging to French royalty. The entire operation was completed in under ten minutes, with the thieves escaping on their scooters before police could respond.

Among the stolen items were a diamond-encrusted bodice bow that once belonged to Empress Eugénie, wife of Napoleon III, containing 2,634 diamonds and valued at over $10.5 million when acquired by the museum in 2008. Additional missing artifacts include a diamond and sapphire tiara with matching earrings and necklace belonging to Queen Marie-Amélie and Queen Hortense, along with an emerald necklace and earrings once owned by Marie-Louise. French authorities confirmed that one item, a crown that belonged to Empress Eugénie, was later recovered damaged near the gallery.

The French Interior Ministry emphasized that beyond their substantial market value, the stolen items hold "inestimable heritage and historical value." The museum was immediately evacuated following the robbery, causing panic among visitors who witnessed the unprecedented security breach. Forensic teams are now working to create a detailed inventory of the stolen items while investigators examine the abandoned Stihl TS 410 power saw left at the scene, launching an extensive manhunt for the highly organized criminals responsible for one of the most audacious museum thefts in recent memory.