Louvre heist: Experts warn British museums are ‘next targets' for thieves

In the wake of the audacious jewelry heist at the Louvre, experts have issued a stark warning that museums across the United Kingdom are likely in the crosshairs of organized criminal gangs.

While talking in an interview with Sky News, Christopher Marinello, a renowned expert in the recovery of stolen art, stated, “If they’ve successfully robbed the Louvre, they can rob anything. Do you know how many museums there are in the UK?”.

According to Marinello, there are sophisticated “gangs” operating across Europe and nothing is being done to stop them.

He asserts that it was just a matter of time before they can strike a significant British institution.

The warning shifts focus from the single incident in Paris to a broader, systemic threat to European cultural heritage.

The main threat, as it is described by Marinello, is that the precious materials are not targeted by the thieves as a piece of history, but as a raw material.

He described how gold is stolen just to melt it down and the value of diamonds being basked in their easy level of sale and the criminals do not care about the integrity of the works of art and cultural heritage. 

In the process, priceless artifacts are destroyed forever.

The expert issued a direct call to action for museum management and urged them to take the threat seriously.

He supported the installation of more sophisticated protection systems and most importantly building a safe deposit box to display jewelry in cultural institutions.

“Otherwise,” he warned, “they will be taken away, melted down and used.”

The Louvre robbery took place on October 19, where thieves broke into the windows and stole priceless crown jewels in just eight minutes.

While the crown of Empress Eugenie was recovered nearby, the major haul is still missing.

From the museum, tools like grinders and gas burners were discovered near the scene, highlighting that thieves didn’t hesitate to use destructive methods to steal precious items.

The warning comes as French authorities, according to Reuters, devise a nationwide review of security at cultural sites, a move that UK institutions may now be compelled to emulate.