How did the Louvre thieves escape after the heist? New footage shows burglars using a forklift and a scooter

Days after the Louvre Heist took place in Paris, footage taken outside the Apollo Gallery was posted on X on Thursday and has since been going viral. The video captures two masked men dressed in black outfits (with one of them seemingly wearing a helmet) leaving the museum grounds using a forklift, after which they quickly rode off on their scooters. 

The same was revealed in a press conference held by the Louvre's director on Wednesday (October 23), in which she answered a number of questions regarding the heist. 

First footage from the Louvre heist show the burglars making a wild getaway

First on a forklift, then on a scooter through Paris streets

The museum reopened three days after the heist https://t.co/z7dCHMZn9L pic.twitter.com/z6bbBc59Hc

— RT (@RT_com) October 23, 2025

Dominique Buffin - who serves as the security chief in the museum - was also present at the conference, where she detailed the security procedure that took place on Sunday, following the thieves' entry into the Louvre. 

After they broke in at 9:30 AM, the first alarm sounded, leading to staff scouring through their video feeds. The staff soon received radio calls that reported the break-in, following which the police were called at 9:35 AM. Buffin stated that the security button was pressed after the call to the police was hung up.

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The jewelry stolen from Louvre in the daylight robbery is worth $102 million

#LouvreHeist-Quick, Professional Job by thieves in 7 minutes on Sunday after Museum was open; Cut through glass panes with battery-powered disc cutter to enter museum, threatened guards, stole 8 19th Century #French Priceless Jewels! ARTISTIC THEFT AT WORLD'S FAMOUS ART GALLERY!! pic.twitter.com/FRQwAWzWOp

— Manikarnika Lagu (@CashBlueprint23) October 20, 2025

As the press conference began on Wednesday, the first question that was answered was about the valuation of the eight jewelry items that were stolen from the museum. A French prosecutor estimates their worth to be somewhere around $102 million.
The unfolding of the robbery was then discussed. Pieces of evidence linked to it that were found on and around the campus included a ladder and some power tools. 

Four suspects are currently believed to be involved in the heist. The group found access to the balcony of the Apollo Gallery using a vehicle-mounted mechanical lift. Once there, two of them used power tools to cut through the window and made their way inside. 
Immediately after entering the gallery, the thieves threatened the guards stationed there to evacuate the premises. As the gallery was emptied, they broke into two glass displays and picked up nine items (one of which was later recovered, having fallen outside the museum).

Within 8 minutes, the thieves were already on their way back, lowering themselves on the sidewalk behind the museum campus using the forklift and then taking off on their scooters. 

Investigators who are working on the heist believe that it's likely linked to a criminal network. Meanwhile, Arthur Brand, who is a Dutch art detective, is convinced that this wasn't the criminals' first heist, which is reflected in the confidence they've displayed in conducting a daylight robbery at the most-visited museum in the world. 

Meanwhile, the Louvre Museum, which had been closed to the public following the Sunday heist, also reopened on Wednesday.