Louvre Ignored Darknet Offer to Buy Back Stolen Jewels, ’Israeli’ Cyber Firm Claims

By Staff, Agencies

An "Israeli" cybersecurity company has alleged that thieves behind the October 19 jewel heist at the Louvre Museum tried to sell the stolen treasures back to the museum via the darknet, but their offer was ignored.

According to CGI Group, its team was contacted five days after the theft by someone claiming to represent the culprits, offering to “negotiate on the darknet for the purchase of the stolen pieces” within a 24-hour window.

CGI CEO Tzvika Naveh said the firm engaged in several encrypted chats with the individual, who appeared to have at least some of the missing jewels from the museum’s Apollo Gallery. “They were on the run and needed to offload the loot quickly,” Naveh said.

Despite alerting the museum’s management, Naveh claimed the Louvre failed to respond for six days, undermining efforts to recover the artifacts. “We lost credibility with the thieves, and the Louvre missed a real opportunity,” he added.

Naveh also revealed that CGI had previously warned of darknet chatter hinting at possible plots to target the Louvre — even mentioning the Mona Lisa — months before the heist.