In a daring daylight heist at the Louvre, thieves used a basket lift to infiltrate the Galerie d'Apollon and steal nine priceless Napoleonic jewels, including Empress Eugénie’s crown. The four-minute operation, executed amid crowds of tourists, has sparked national outrage and intensified scrutiny of museum security and staffing.

Paris: In a minutes-long strike Sunday inside the world’s most-visited museum, thieves rode a basket lift to the Louvre, forced a window into the Galerie d’Apollon — while tourists pressed shoulder-to-shoulder in the corridors — smashed display cases and fled with priceless Napoleonic jewels, officials said.

It was among the highest-profile museum thefts in recent memory and comes as Louvre employees have complained of worker and security understaffing.

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