The museum’s management has refuted claims by the Israeli intelligence-firm CGI Group that they were engaged to recover the stolen jewels following last week’s high-profile robbery
What Happened
An unattributed statement by the Louvre Museum, Paris, has publicly rejected reports that it hired the Tel Aviv-based private intelligence company CGI Group to assist with the investigation into last weekend’s jewellery theft.
CGI Group previously announced that it had been contacted by the museum to help “uncover the identity of people involved in the theft and retrieve the stolen artefacts.”
Details of the Dispute
- CGI Group CEO Zvika Naveh told news agency AFP that the Louvre had placed a request via an intermediary for the firm’s help, citing their prior success in recovering stolen jewels from Germany’s Green Vault museum in 2019.
- However, a spokesperson for the Louvre said the museum’s management “denies” having contacted any private company for the investigation.
- Naveh insisted that the approach came through a third-party segment involving insurance firms and other entities—implying the Louvre’s direct involvement may be indirect or obscured.
Bigger Context
The incident follows a daring robbery at the Louvre earlier this month, in which thieves broke into the Apollo Gallery and stole multiple pieces of 19th-century jewellery originally owned by French royalty
Given the high value and historical importance of the stolen items, speculation around third-party intelligence support has heightened scrutiny of the museum’s security and investigative protocols.
Final Take
The conflicting claims between CGI Group and the museum highlight unresolved questions around who is bearing the responsibility for recovery efforts and how public cultural institutions coordinate with private intelligence entities. Regardless of who hired whom, the challenge remains: recovering priceless artefacts and restoring public trust in museum security.
Related News : Paris’ Louvre Museum Closes After Robbers Flee With Jewellery
