Paris’s Natural History Museum Hit by Daring Heist

Thieves broke into the National Natural History Museum in Paris, stealing gold samples valued at approximately $700,000.

The museum, renowned for its dinosaur skeletons and stuffed animals, was targeted on Tuesday morning. Intruders used an angle grinder and blow torch to gain access to the museum’s geology and mineralogy gallery.

The stolen items are several specimens of native gold, a metal alloy containing gold and silver in its natural form.

While the monetary value is substantial, the museum emphasizes the specimens’ immense heritage value, making them irreplaceable.

A police source revealed that the museum’s alarm and surveillance systems were disabled by a cyber attack in July.

It’s believed the thieves exploited this vulnerability to carry out the heist.

This incident comes amid a surge in thefts targeting cultural institutions.

Recent notable incidents include the Adrien Dubouche National Museum, where thieves stole Chinese porcelain pieces worth $7.2 million, and the Cognacq-Jay Museum, where four men smashed display cases and stole 18th-century works worth millions.

The museum has expressed concern over the increasing frequency of such incidents, highlighting the need for enhanced security measures to protect cultural treasures.

The stolen gold samples are considered priceless due to their historical and scientific significance.