New footage has emerged of last week’s robbery of the Louvre museum in Paris, which shocked the world.
In the new video, the robbers are seen climbing from the balcony into the stolen elevator with what are believed to be stolen goods in their hands. However, what they do once the elevator hits the ground is hard to see because of the boundary wall. Watch the video here:
What was stolen from the Louvre?
The crown jewels from the time of Napoleon Bonaparte were stolen from the Louvre. The Paris prosecutor behind the case revealed that the stolen jewels had an estimated value of $102 million, without giving them any historical value in France.
Among the items was a diamond and emerald necklace that Napoleon gave to his wife; the tiara worn by Napoleon III’s wife, Empress Eugenie, and a number of pieces owned by Queen Marie-Amelie.
One damaged crown, which belonged to the Empress Eugenie, was found on the route taken by the robbers to escape, and appears to have been dropped in their haste.
CNN has acquired more shots which showed a ladder along with an angle grinder, a blowtorch and other equipment that was used to break into the Louvre.
Where stolen jewelry can end up
Experts believe that some of the stolen ornaments and jewelery could be melted down or broken and used in other jewelery without attracting much attention.
“You don’t even have to put them on the black market, just put them in a jewelry store,” an art crime professor at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York told the AP, adding, “It could be sold down the street from the Louvre.”
Christopher Marinello, a lawyer and founder of Art Recovery International, said it would not be easy for the looters to sell the entire artifacts, especially after “everyone and their sister” saw their photos from the heist.
A German freight elevator becomes a social media sensation
The freight elevator used by the robbers was German-made, and its manufacturer is at a high level thanks to the unexpected support.
The CEO of Böcker Maschinenwerke GmbH, who is also a third-generation owner of the company, told the AP that he and his wife were “shocked that our elevator was used for this robbery.”
The company soon turned the heist into a publicity stunt, using an image of their elevator in a promotional social media post with the caption “when things need to be done fast.” Check out the post right here:
“We were hoping for some attention and good humor, but the response was overwhelming,” Bocker told the AP, adding, “I understand that not everyone shares that sense of humor, but the vast majority had a hearty laugh.”
