Paris has seen its fair share of daring museum heists — but this one feels straight out of a thriller.
In the dead of night, thieves broke into the Natural History Museum and vanished with native gold specimens worth an estimated €600,000.
But here’s the twist: the real loss isn’t just the gold, it’s the irreplaceable heritage behind it.
The break-in, detected Tuesday morning, targeted the museum’s famed mineralogy gallery, home to some of the world’s rarest geological treasures.
Officials say the intruders used heavy-duty tools like an angle grinder and blow torch.
“We are dealing with an extremely professional team,” museum director Emmanuel Skoulios told French TV.
“It is absolutely not by chance that they went for these specific items.”
Art Heist Shocks Paris
Adding intrigue, a police source told Le Parisien the museum’s security systems were crippled by a cyberattack in July.
A possible inside edge for the thieves.
This heist is the latest in a string of audacious robberies hitting French cultural institutions.
From porcelain treasures in Limoges to daylight smash-and-grabs in Paris museums.
It’s a reminder, experts say, that the romance of art and history sometimes comes with a dark underbelly.
In the City of Light, even the gold isn’t safe.
