Europol Reports More Violent Museum Heists Across Europe

Museum thefts across Europe are becoming more forceful, with criminals using firearms, explosives, heavy tools and physical attacks to reach valuable objects, Europol says in a report published Monday. The EU police agency said museum robberies had traditionally been viewed as a largely non-violent form of organised property crime. Recent cases, however, show a shift toward planned operations involving weapons, smashed display cases and assaults on staff. Europol said the pattern could indicate the involvement of new criminal networks focused on specific cultural objects. Unlike established traffickers, who generally avoid violence and operate through core groups led by an organiser, some suspects in recent cases appear to have been recruited locally through social media and instant-messaging services. Others may have been brought together for individual jobs without having prior connections. Precious metals and jewellery were identified as particularly attractive targets because gold and silver can be melted down, while gemstones can be removed from their settings. The report also pointed to demand for ancient Chinese porcelain, which it said may be sought for financial gain and sold through the art market. Several recent robberies illustrate the reported escalation. In January 2025, a gang used explosives to enter the Drents Museum in the Netherlands and took several Dacian artefacts. Many of the objects were later recovered. At Paris’s Cognacq-Jay Museum in 2024, four hooded suspects carrying baseball bats and axes stole seven objects decorated with gold and diamonds. The Louvre robbery in October 2025 also involved threats and damage: according to Europol, thieves broke a window, threatened guards and visitors, smashed display cases in the Apollo Gallery and took jewellery estimated to be worth €88 million. The report said some museum thieves have used firearms to intimidate security personnel and visitors, while other incidents involved staff being tied up or physically overpowered. Europol linked the use of force to targeted operations, suggesting that offenders had identified particular objects and planned their attacks in advance. The agency said more evidence was needed to establish how these groups operate. It raised the possibility that low-level thieves were being recruited through a “crime-as-a-service” model, or that criminals active in other markets had identified museum heists as potentially low-risk, high-profit crimes.