New Video Of Daring Heist Exposes Shocking Lapse At The Louvre, Netizens Suspect ‘Inside Job’

Last Updated:January 19, 2026, 23:23 IST

A CCTV video from inside the Apollo Gallery showed two burglars smashing display cases and walking away with jewels worth over $100 million in the presence of guards.

New footage of the Louvre heist exposed shocking security lapses. (Photo: X)

New footage of the Louvre heist in October 2025 exposed a shocking security lapse at the high-security museum, showing thieves smashing a glass pane and walking out with jewels worth more than $100 million. The video prompted users to wonder if the heist was an “inside job".

A CCTV video from inside the Apollo Gallery, aired on France TV, shows two burglars – one wearing a black balaclava and a yellow jacket, and the other dressed in black with a motorcycle helmet – forcing their way into the first-floor gallery in the presence of guards.

After using high-powered cutters to break in through the reinforced window, one of the burglars was seen punching the glass with his forearm before reaching inside and stealing several pieces of jewellery. The footage showed the pair working together to smash a second, larger display case and stealing more items before leaving the gallery.

More footage revealed that the guards huddled together in a corner during the heist, unsure how to respond. One staffer was seen placing a phone call as another seized a rope stanchion in an attempt to protect himself. A guard briefly moved towards the robbers but hesitated at the last second and retreated. The footage drew massive condemnation from the public, raising doubts about whether the guards were unprepared to deal with such an attack.

However, CNN-News18 could not independently verify the authenticity of the footage.

“This is insane," a user wrote on X. “It was totally not an inside job," another individual commented. “Bro just strolled out with $100M like it’s Black Friday at the gift shop," a third person wrote.

French authorities came under intense fire after it emerged that the Louvre’s video surveillance system was protected by a shockingly simple password- “Louvre"- a lapse that investigators said made an already stunning $102 million jewel heist far easier for thieves.

The burglars slipped into the Apollo Gallery and escaped with eight historic pieces, including Napoleon’s emerald-and-diamond necklace for Empress Marie Louise and Empress Eugénie’s 19th-century crown- all in under seven minutes. The breach forced the closure of the world’s most-visited museum and triggered a blistering inquiry into how thieves infiltrated one of the globe’s most heavily guarded cultural institutions.

Police arrested two suspects a week after the heist: a 34-year-old Algerian detained while trying to board a flight home and a 39-year-old man already under judicial supervision for aggravated theft. Two more suspects- a 37-year-old man and 38-year-old woman- were later charged.

Speaking on Sunday, France‘s culture minister Rachida Dati warned that personnel changes were imminent, according to The Sun. The stolen jewels have yet to be located.

News world New Video Of Daring Heist Exposes Shocking Lapse At The Louvre, Netizens Suspect ‘Inside Job’

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