Louvre denies tapping Israeli firm in theft probe

The management of the Louvre museum denied on Monday having contacted a private Israeli intel firm to investigate the weekend's audacious jewel heist at the iconic French institution.

The Israeli CGI Group, based in Tel Aviv, told AFP earlier the world-famous museum had asked for its help for the investigation due to its past success recovering stolen artefacts from a German museum in 2019.

"The Louvre exceptionally asked us to uncover the identity of people involved in the theft and to retrieve the stolen artefacts," CGI Group CEO Zvika Naveh told AFP.


But a museum representative, when asked by AFP, denied this.

"The Louvre management denies it," they said, without further comment.

Asked for clarification, Naveh said the request had come "via an intermediary acting on behalf of the Louvre and other entities, including insurance companies".

The Louvre's management reiterated that it had not "contacted anyone".

The 2019 robbery at Dresden's Green Vault museum saw the theft of 18th-century jewels worth 113 million euros ($132 million).

French police are on the hunt for thieves who made off with nine pieces of priceless jewellery after breaking into the Louvre on Sunday, one of which -- a crown covered in more than 1,000 diamonds -- they dropped as they fled.