World News
Europol warns of rising violence and explosives in European museum heists
A report from the EU police agency highlights a shift toward forceful methods, with criminals targeting precious metals, jewellery, and Chinese porcelain.
The short version
- Europol issued a report stating that museum robberies in Europe are becoming increasingly violent, with perpetrators using firearms, axes, sledgehammers, and explosives.
- The agency indicated that primary targets include precious metals, jewellery, and ancient Chinese porcelain due to high demand and the ease of reselling or melting down materials.
- Investigators suspect the shift may involve established criminal groups branching out or ad hoc teams recruited via social media.
- Police forces continue to gather evidence on whether low-level perpetrators are being hired on a "crime-as-a-service" basis by larger networks.
Key facts
- Europol published a report stating that museum thefts in Europe are increasingly involving violent and forceful tactics.[The Guardian]
- The report highlights that some thieves coordinate on an ad hoc basis and are recruited locally through social media and messaging channels.[The Guardian]
- Thieves targeted Paris's Cognacq-Jay art museum in 2024 using baseball bats and axes, stealing seven objects decorated with gold and diamonds.[The Guardian]
- In January 2025, an armed gang used explosives to break into the Drents Museum in the Netherlands to steal Dacian artefacts, most of which were later recovered.[The Guardian]
- During an October 2025 raid on the Louvre, thieves broke a window, threatened visitors and guards, smashed cases in the Apollo Gallery, and took jewellery estimated to be worth €88 million.[The Guardian]
What remains uncertain
- Europol noted that additional evidence is required to confirm whether perpetrators are being recruited systematically on a crime-as-a-service basis or if existing syndicates are independently expanding into museum theft.[The Guardian]
Sources
- Guns, axes, explosives: violent museum heists are on the rise, says EuropolThe Guardian - World