PARIS — PARIS (AP) — It took lower than eight minutes for thieves to steal 88 million euros ($102 million) price of crown jewels in a weekend heist on the world’s most visited museum, the Louvre, surprising the world.

French officers have described how the thieves rode a basket elevate up the Louvre’s facade, compelled open a window, smashed show instances and fled on Sunday morning.

The thieves spent lower than 4 minutes contained in the museum.

Right here’s what’s recognized in regards to the timeline:

Thieves use a false pretext to steal a basket elevate. Paris prosecutor Laurence Beccuau mentioned they set an appointment with an organization that owned the truck earlier than leaving with it, utilizing threats however no violence. The corporate filed a criticism for the theft within the city of Louvres, about 20 kilometers (12 miles) north of Paris. The title has made many ponder whether it was a coincidence.

9 a.m.: The Louvre museum opens to guests.

9:30 a.m.: Thieves dressed like renovation employees park the truck geared up with a freight elevate — a typical sight in Paris — on the foot of the Louvre, on Quai François Mitterrand alongside the Seine River. Two folks climb a ladder to succeed in a balcony and open a window with a disc cutter.

9:34 a.m.: The 2 thieves enter the south finish of the Apollo gallery and use disc cutters to smash two show instances and take the jewels. An alarm is triggered on the safety management room. Safety officers make guests evacuate, consistent with necessities that target crowd security.

9:38 a.m.: The thieves go away through the identical window and flee east with two different folks ready for them on two scooters. They go away behind a yellow jacket just like these usually worn by development employees and different tools, together with a disc cutter. Tradition Minister Rachida Dati mentioned safety officers on website prevented one thief from setting the truck with the freight elevate on hearth.

10:34 a.m.: Dati broadcasts on social media that “a theft occurred this morning on the opening of the Louvre Museum.”

Later that day: The emerald-set imperial crown of Napoleon III’s spouse, Empress Eugénie, containing greater than 1,300 diamonds, was discovered outdoors the museum. The thieves left with eight different objects of invaluable historic worth.

The museum reopens. Beccuau the prosecutor says about 100 investigators are engaged on the case along with forensics consultants who’re analyzing surveillance footage and “150 samples” that had been collected on the basket elevate, contained in the museum and on gadgets discovered.