HEISTS THAT SHOOK THE CENTURY, FROM LOUVRE TO PNB IN 1987

From the Louvre’s seven-minute jewel raid to tunnels beneath banks and fake cops at vault doors, the last century’s boldest heists married patience and nerve—youthful crews and seasoned pros exploiting tiny lapses, vanishing fast, and forcing security to evolve.

- TDG NETWORK

Over 11-12 September 1971, a gang rented a nearby shop, dug a 40-foot tunnel to Lloyds Bank on Baker Street, and breached the vault during a bank holiday—opening nearly 300 safe-deposit boxes and stealing about £3 million (=51 million today). Representative image.

Heists fascinate because they combine meticulous planning with daring execution. During the last century, many criminals have targeted banks, museums and jewellery dealers, sometimes escaping with fortunes. This report explores major heists worldwide and in India since the early 20th century, including the recent 2025 Louvre jewellery theft, bank raids, jewel robberies and daring train capers. Each narrative summarises the what, where and when, explains how the criminals planned and carried out the heist, notes the age groups involved, and discusses whether they were captured and what happened to them. The report is designed for a general audience and highlights both the audacious schemes and the law-enforcement responses.

GLOBAL HEISTS

On 19 October 2025, thieves broke into the Apollon gallery of the Louvre Museum in Paris and stole priceless jewellery, including items from France's crown jewels. The gang used building works on an adjacent roof to access a goods lift, then used an angle-grinder to cut through a glass display case. They completed the robbery in about seven minutes around 9:30 a.m., and a recovered ornament outside the museum suggested hurried execution. Officials said the thieves were experienced; investigators analysed security footage, and at least one suspect fled on foot while another left in a car. As of 2025, the case remains under investigation, so the ages and identities of the perpetrators are unknown.

American Museum of Natural History (New York, 1964)