Violent museum robberies are increasing, says Europol

Museum robberies in Europe are becoming more violent. Thieves are reportedly using weapons like guns, and sometimes assaulting staff. They are also using tools such as sledgehammers, axes, and even explosives to break into museums and steal items from display cases, according to a new report from Europol, the European Union's police agency.

Europol points out that while stealing from museums has often been seen as a less violent type of organised crime, there has been a recent noticeable change. This shift towards violent and forceful methods might mean that new criminal groups are involved. These groups appear to be specifically targeting certain valuable artefacts.

The report highlights that these criminals are different from typical art traffickers. Usually, those involved in the illegal trade of cultural goods avoid violence and focus on property crime. However, the individuals involved in these recent violent heists often have a history of engaging in other types of criminal activities.

Furthermore, some of the thieves caught in recent incidents seem to organise their operations on a temporary basis. They are often hired locally using social media and messaging apps, and they don't necessarily have existing connections with each other. This approach contrasts with the usual structure of criminal networks that traffic cultural goods, which typically operate as a close-knit group led by a central figure.

The report, released recently, found that precious metals and jewellery are frequent targets. This is due to their rising value and the relative ease with which gold and silver can be melted down, and jewels removed from their settings. Similarly, ancient Chinese porcelain is also likely targeted by traffickers because of the high demand, making these items easily sellable on the art market for financial gain.

Europol mentioned that several recent robberies demonstrate that some thieves have no hesitation in using explosives or employing violence. For example, in January 2025, a group used an explosion to break into the Drents Museum in the Netherlands and stole several Dacian artefacts. Many of these items were later recovered.

The report also noted that offenders sometimes use firearms to threaten security guards and visitors. Some museum thefts have included direct physical attacks on staff, such as tying them up or using significant physical force. The use of force in these cases appears closely linked to specific operations, suggesting that particular objects were identified beforehand and the attacks were carefully planned.

In one instance, four suspects wearing hoods and carrying baseball bats and axes stole seven gold and diamond-decorated objects from the Cognacq-Jay museum in Paris in 2024. The report also refers to a violent heist at the Louvre in October 2025, where thieves broke a window, threatened guards and visitors, and smashed display cases in the Apollo Gallery to steal jewellery valued at approximately €88m.

Europol suggests that while more research is needed, it is possible that low-level thieves are being recruited for museum jobs on a 'crime-as-a-service' basis. Alternatively, criminal individuals or groups primarily active in other illegal markets might have recognised the potential for high profits with relatively low risk by targeting museums.