Türkiye is among several countries where inspections have been tightened as part of the international search for priceless royal jewels stolen from the Louvre Museum, months after the high-profile Paris heist and with the missing pieces still unaccounted for.
The investigation into the Oct. 19, 2025 robbery, one of the most shocking art crimes in recent years, has expanded beyond France through close coordination between Interpol and Europol.
As part of the effort, preventative inspections have been tightened in major art trade hubs, including Spain, Germany, Switzerland and Türkiye. Turkish authorities, with full access to Interpol’s Stolen Works of Art database, are actively involved in monitoring borders, auction houses and the art market, security sources said.
Despite the arrests of seven suspects in France — four of whom remain in custody — the jewels valued at around $104 million and linked to Napoleon and the French royal family have not yet been recovered.
Three suspects were released due to insufficient evidence. Paris Chief Prosecutor Laure Beccuau stated in January that the investigation remains active and locating the stolen jewels was their primary objective.
The stolen pieces have been registered in Interpol’s Stolen Works of Art database, placing them under official international search and seizure status.
The database, maintained at its Lyon headquarters, contains records of around 57,000 stolen or missing works worldwide.
In parallel, summary information has been made publicly accessible through Interpol’s ID-ART mobile application, which allows police, customs officials and art professionals to quickly identify stolen works in the field.
Experts note that high-profile artifacts of this nature are rarely sold immediately. Instead, they are often hidden for years in free ports or private storage, resurfacing much later through auctions or private collections in third countries.
In this context, Türkiye’s role is described as both preventative and detection-focused.
Authorities emphasize that there is currently no public evidence indicating the jewels have entered Türkiye, but underline that inspections and digital checks via ID-ART are ongoing.
The robbery itself lasted just seven minutes. Thieves targeted the Apollo Gallery, home to France’s crown jewels, stealing nine items. A damaged crown belonging to Empress Eugénie, the wife of Napoleon III, was later found outside the museum, believed to have been dropped during the escape. Eight historic jewels were successfully taken.
