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Last weekend’s Louvre heist unfolded like a Hollywood movie: A gang of thieves stole an assortment of dazzling royal jewels on display at one of the world’s most famous museums.
Leila Amineddoleh, who teaches classes on art crime and the law, explains what’s so fascinating about this particular crime. Most art thefts are far less dramatic. They happen in storerooms or while works are in transit. Around 90% are inside jobs.
To Amineddoleh, the brazen nature of the Louvre robbery may be its downfall.
Unlike more mundane art thefts, the Louvre heist has “captured the world’s attention, all but ensuring that the French detectives, independent sleuths and international law enforcement will be on the lookout” for new black market listings of gold, gems and royal bling.
That said, the criminals have ways to monetize the haul. The fact that they mainly stole bejeweled necklaces, crowns and brooches means that they have more options than if they had pilfered paintings.
“Even if each one were broken to bits and sold for parts, they would still be worth a lot of money,” Amineddoleh writes, with the gems alone worth “millions of dollars.”
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