Art detective Arthur Brand told Newsmax the theft of priceless jewels from the Louvre in Paris is unparalleled in recent times.
Brand told "Wake Up America" "It's the heist of the decade."
He described how the thieves did not need to resort to a fancy method of operation.
"These guys came there, disguised as construction workers with a mechanical ladder. They went in, smashed some display cases, and went off in seven minutes with the French crown jewels," he said, adding they simply used a hammer to break open display cases. Not what one would expect, said Brand, of a theft from "one of the most famous museums in the world."
The impact of the heist is just starting to kick in, he said.
"So it's a disaster. And this is not the first museum to be targeted. So it is like a movie and it's horrible. It's devastating for France," he said.
Louvre Director Laurence des Cars has offered to resign after the theft of jewels valued at $102 million inside the museum, an incident that has drawn criticism of France's security measures and oversight of cultural assets.
Des Cars submitted her resignation following the theft of eight historic crown jewels, describing the event as a "terrible failure" and acknowledging that outdated security systems did not detect the intruders in time.
In testimony before the French Senate's culture committee Wednesday, she said the robbery revealed "weaknesses in our protection system," citing camera blind spots in the Galerie d'Apollon, the section that houses royal artifacts.
Brand said the thieves surely surveyed the museum in advance and could tell it would not be difficult.
"So, probably they went to the Louvre to see if it was possible, looking for lasers with a ceiling to use. And then they looked at each other and they thought, oh, my God, this is going to be easy," Brand said.
And, said Brand, they knew they would not have to deal with armed security at the Louvre.
"And we must remember in Europe, guards are not allowed to carry guns. We don't want to have shootings. Most of our museums are located in big buildings, sometimes very old buildings," Brand said.
That is something Brand said may not be understood by Americans. "And we don't want to turn these museums into a fortress. You know, it's for the public. It's not like Fort Knox."
Which, in the long run, he said, means museum thefts will continue as they have every week across Europe. "And, you know, I have no clue how we can avoid these kinds of raids in the future here."
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Jim Mishler ✉
Jim Mishler, a seasoned reporter, anchor and news director, has decades of experience covering crime, politics and environmental issues.
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