Paris’s Natural History Museum in the chic 5th arrondissement was rocked early Wednesday when masked intruders forced their way into its geology and mineralogy gallery and made off with rare native gold specimens valued at around €600,000. Authorities say the theft is the latest in a troubling trend of high-value robberies targeting the city’s cultural institutions.
Museum staff discovered the break-in at first light after security guards noticed a side entrance panel had been cut with what appeared to be an angle grinder. Investigators believe the thieves also used a blow torch to bypass reinforced steel doors, suggesting they came well prepared for a professional operation.
The missing pieces include several naturally occurring gold silver alloys, prized by researchers for their pristine crystal formations. While raw-material estimates place their market value at €600,000, curators stress their true worth lies in scientific study and public heritage items of which there are no exact replacements.
An internal police source revealed that the museum suffered a cyberattack on its alarm and camera systems this past July, although it remains unclear whether the sabotage still hampered defenses at the time of the heist. Officials have launched a full technical audit of security protocols as a precaution.
“This was a calculated strike,” museum director Emmanuel Skoulios told reporters. “They knew exactly which cases to target and how to breach them. These specimens aren’t just metal they’re irreplaceable records of Earth’s history.” The gallery has been closed to visitors pending an updated risk assessment.
Interior Ministry spokespeople have dispatched officers from Paris’s central crime division and the specialized art-theft unit to lead the inquiry. Nearby museums have been placed on heightened alert, and plans to deploy mobile security teams along the Seine cultural corridor are already underway.
The Natural History Museum’s river-front complex, renowned for its dinosaur skeletons and taxidermy collections, attracts millions of visitors annually. Losing its geology wing even temporarily represents a blow to both tourism and academic research, with university programs now scrambling for alternative specimen access.
With pressure mounting on city officials, museum trustees say an emergency fund will be tapped to strengthen exhibit cases, install new cyber-resilient alarm systems, and increase overnight patrols. Meanwhile, Interpol has been notified to prevent potential smuggling of the stolen gold abroad.
+ There are no comments
Add yours