Priceless gems stolen in the raid are said to have already been smuggled internationally, cited Barry Phillips, the ex-operational chief of The Sweeney. He described that the treasure, which has thousands of separate diamonds and emeralds, will likely be dismantled and recut for sale on the global market.
French officials have stated that foreign criminals may have conducted the seven-minute burglary on Sunday morning.
Phillips cited that the military-style accuracy indicates the Pink Panther gang’s involvement:
“This heist bears all the hallmarks of the Pink Panther gang.
It fits exactly with their previous track record and methods they use.
This team of robbers were highly professional.
They will have a well organised network to slaughter (dispose of) the goods, which no doubt went straight out of the country.
The jewellery will be broken up and the precious metal melted down.
They will have people to reshape the diamonds and change their appearance.
While that would devalue the treasure, it will still be extremely valuable.”
How the Robbery Unfolded
Four masked intruders in hi-vis construction jackets employed a flat-bed truck with a mechanical lift to reach the Louvre’s Gallery of Apollo. Two gang members were lifted to a first-floor balcony and went through a window with disc cutters before threatening guards and destroying two display cases.
The thieves left the lorry and hydraulic lift and escaped on scooters, dropping a jeweled crown in their getaway during their escape.
Phillips commented:
“The targeted treasure fits entirely with the kind of jobs the Pink Panther network have pulled off in the past.
They don’t go for paintings and artefacts because there is a very limited market with such items.
High value jewellery is much easier to conceal by breaking it up and offers quick rewards from an early disposal.”
Background on the Pink Panther Gang
The gang received its nickname following the hiding of a £500,000 diamond stolen in a 2003 burglary on Graff jewellers in London’s Mayfair inside a jar of face cream, showing the trick that’s employed in the first Pink Panther movie starring David Niven and Peter Sellers.
Over decades, the gang has reportedly stolen more than £400 million in gems across 35 countries. In 2018, Scotland Yard sought Croatian Vinko Osmakcic, a suspected member, over a £2 million diamond theft at a Chelsea art show.
Phillips further said:
“The Pink Panther group have been around for decades and evolved over time with younger and more athletic accomplices being recruited.
However, one of the robbers caught on CCTV looked quite portly and may have been older.
To use a hoist in broad daylight was incredibly audacious.
It was done with military precision which leads back again to the Pink Panther group of ex-soldiers.”
He cited:
“The method of the robbery suggests an element of intelligence.
It is hard to believe they wouldn’t have had an inside agent at the Louvre to identify weakness in the security systems.
The robbers would have done a lot of planning and preparation.”
Security Concerns
Phillips called the robbery an embarrassment for France:
“Any security system starts with the outer layer and works inwards.
The outer layer here was the outside of the building which they have breached very easily.
The French are saying they are in the process of reviewing their security at museums and galleries.
Well, they need to get a move on.”
Reports show one-third of the wing has the stolen treasures but CCTV coverage was lacking. French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez revealed advanced security measures, while the government acknowledged protocols had “failed”, making a “terrible image”. President Emmanuel Macron explained the robbery as:
“an attack on a heritage that we cherish because it is our history.”
Chris Marinello, CEO of Art Recovery International, cautioned the stolen jewels could be “long gone” if the thieves were not caught immediately:
“There is a race going on right now.”
“The thieves will break up their haul and recut the gems.”
“The French cops know that in the next 24 or 48 hours, if these thieves are not caught, those pieces are probably long gone.”
FAQs:
1. What happened at the Louvre?
Thieves broke into the museum and stole several precious jewels from the French Crown collection.
2. Who are the suspected culprits?
Officials and experts suspect the Pink Panther gang, a global jewel theft network.
The post Pink Panther gang: Was the Louvre heist carried out by the Pink Panther gang, who are they? Here’s all about the notorious group appeared first on Veritas News.
