In eastern France, unknown perpetrators carried out a brazen robbery at the Lalique Museum in Alsace, stealing around 20 pieces of jewelry. According to preliminary estimates, the damage may amount to nearly €4 million, Le Parisien reports.

The theft occurred at dawn on July 5 at the museum located in the commune of Wingen-sur-Moder and dedicated to the famous Art Nouveau and Art Deco master René Lalique. Following the incident, the museum management announced the temporary closure of the institution.

According to the investigation, several masked criminals broke down the entrance door and smashed six display cases containing exhibits. The stolen jewelry is made of crystal and does not contain precious stones, but it has high artistic and collectible value.

The alarm went off immediately after the break-in; however, according to sources, employees of the security company did not arrive in time. The first to report the crime was a cleaner who came to work in the morning and discovered signs of forced entry.

The mayor of Wingen-sur-Moder sharply criticized the actions of the security service.

“All the alarms worked as they should. But apparently, the security company made a serious mistake: its employees did not arrive immediately and did not notify the gendarmerie,” he said.

According to the head of the commune, the criminals may have known in advance which exhibits were the most valuable.

“They headed straight for the jewelry first. They were probably very well informed and acted like true professionals,” the mayor noted.

Investigators are studying surveillance camera footage. The investigation has been assigned to the criminal investigations unit of the gendarmerie of the Bas-Rhin department.

After the high-profile robbery at the Louvre Museum in 2025, the Lalique Museum was considered a high-risk site and was under heightened security. However, as sources admitted, the measures taken proved insufficient.