Posing as construction workers, thieves broke into Paris’s Louvre on Sunday, smashed display cases, and fled on motorcycles with at least nine jewels once owned by Napoleon I and Empress Marie-Louise, officials said. French authorities have opened an investigation; no suspects have been named. Notorious art thief Myles Connor told ABC News the heist is “damn close” to the most expensive museum theft in history and said a recovery reward could reach $5 million. Connor, who once stole a Rembrandt as a bargaining chip and later returned it for $50,000, called the missing pieces “irreplaceable” national treasures.

Prepared by Emily Rhodes and reviewed by editorial team.