Thieves Steal $700,000 Worth of Gold from Paris Natural History Museum

National Museum of Natural History, Paris, France. Credit: Benh LIEU SONG / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 3.0

Thieves broke into a salient Paris museum and stole autochthonal golden specimens valued astatine astir $700,000, authorities said, successful what appears to beryllium portion of a troubling bid of thefts targeting taste institutions crossed France.

The break-in occurred aboriginal Tuesday astatine the National Museum of Natural History in Paris, France, located successful the city’s 5th arrondissement, a territory known for its historical charm and fashionable with some residents and tourists.

Museum officials reported that the suspects utilized concern tools, including an space grinder and blowtorch, to unit their mode into the riverfront complex, bypassing information systems.

The stolen items, taken from the museum’s geology and mineralogy collection, consisted of respective autochthonal golden samples—a earthy alloy of unrefined golden and silver.

Though the marketplace worth of the missing golden is estimated astatine astir 600,000 euros ($710,000), the depository emphasized that the specimens clasp acold greater technological and taste significance.

Cyberattack linked to information failure

Museum representatives explained that the information breach whitethorn beryllium linked to a cyberattack successful July that disabled some alarm and surveillance systems. A constabulary source, speaking anonymously to the French paper Le Parisien, said investigators fishy the thieves had anterior cognition of the vulnerability.

Museum officials called the theft portion of a concerning trend, noting that nationalist collections crossed the state person faced akin attacks successful caller months. They described the incidental arsenic coming astatine a peculiarly delicate clip for museums and practice sites.

Other institutions person reported losses successful caller weeks. Earlier this month, thieves broke into the Adrien Dubouché National Museum successful Limoges, stealing 2 porcelain dishes and a vase classified arsenic nationalist treasures.

Authorities estimation the worth of those stolen items astatine 6.5 cardinal euros ($7.7 million). The depository is known for lodging the world’s largest nationalist postulation of Limoges porcelain.

Wider signifier of depository and jewelry heists

In November past year, 4 men equipped with axes and bats raided the Cognacq-Jay Museum successful Paris successful wide daylight.

They smashed show cases and took respective 18th-century artworks, prompting a $4 cardinal security payout to the Royal Collection Trust, according to BBC News.

A time later, different depository successful cardinal France was targeted successful an armed robbery, with respective cardinal euros’ worthy of jewelry stolen. In May 2024, equipped robbers deed the upscale Harry Winston jewelry boutique successful Paris, a store wide known for catering to high-profile clients.

French authorities proceed to analyse the drawstring of robberies arsenic museums reassess their information measures.