Museum heists have turned more violent, with thieves hired on social media, Europol says

Europol warns of increasingly violent museum heists as social media recruitment transforms art crime

European museums are facing a wave of increasingly violent robberies, with thieves using guns, axes and explosives and shifting their focus to gold and jewels, according to a new report from Europol. The EU law enforcement agency said on Monday that specialist gangs have been replaced by ad-hoc opportunists recruited through social media, marking a significant change in the landscape of art crime.

The report points to the Louvre heist in Paris in October last year as a prime example of these shifts. Thieves threatened guards and visitors, broke a window and smashed display cases in the Apollo Gallery, making off with jewellery worth an estimated €88 million, including Empress Eugenie's tiara. A crown worn by the French empress was also targeted but was dropped during the escape, according to a photo caption from the Louvre Museum.

Europol said that over the last two years, art thieves have increasingly turned their attention to precious metals, jewels and cultural artefacts that offer greater financial returns. The price of gold has surged by 85% in that period, as investors and central banks seek a safe haven. The London Bullion Market Association has warned that as gold prices rise to historic levels, illicit flows and market distortions are also increasing.

The agency's report describes offenders breaching premises and display cases using tools such as sledgehammers, axes, crowbars and, in some instances, explosives. In some cases, firearms have been used to intimidate security personnel and visitors, and staff have been tied up or subjected to brute force.

Where traditional gangs relied on deception and stealth, with a central leader and niche expertise, recent thefts have been carried out by a decentralised ad-hoc group of profit-seeking opportunists, recruited on a "crime-as-a-service" basis through social media. The report notes that, unlike typical cultural goods traffickers who usually avoid violence, these individuals often have histories of involvement in other types of crime.

Europol highlighted the ease of fencing stolen goods as a key factor in the shift toward precious metals. "Precious metals can be easily melted down, leaving no trace for law enforcement, and facilitating illicit sales during the fencing process," the report says. "Precious stones in jewellery, on the other hand, can be easily removed and sold further." The agency also noted an increase in thefts of ancient Chinese porcelain artefacts, such as Ming Dynasty vases, driven by high demand and ease of sale on the art market.

Several recent incidents illustrate the trend. In January last year, thieves used explosives to steal a 2,500-year-old Dacian golden helmet and three gold bracelets from a museum in the Netherlands. The artefacts were later recovered and returned to Romania, although one bracelet remains missing. In 2024, four hooded suspects used baseball bats and axes to steal seven gold and diamond-adorned objects from the Cognacq-Jay museum in Paris.

Europol suggested that some low-level museum thieves may be randomly recruited on a crime-as-a-service basis, and that criminal actors typically active in other markets have realised the low-risk, high-profit potential of museum heists. The report's findings point to a changing threat that museums across Europe will need to adapt to.