After a theft at the Musée National Adrien-Dubouché, in Limoges, on September 4, 2025. FRANCK LAGIER/MAXPPP
A former member of Interpol (the international criminal police organization), who also worked in French intelligence and the Culture Ministry's security and safety department, where he audited over 700 cultural sites, Stéphane Théfo was enjoying a peaceful retirement in Lyon. However, the audacious theft at the Louvre on Sunday, October 19, abruptly brought him back into action. "I'm being contacted from everywhere," said Théfo, who, though in his 60s, looks 10 years younger. "This theft, both clever and brazen, was a wake-up call." Since then, not a day has gone by without a curator from an archaeological museum or a mayor of a rural town, worried about securing their local church, calling him for audits or security training.
Their panic is understandable: Between September and October, no fewer than seven cultural establishments in France were targeted by burglaries. On the night of September 3 to 4, the Adrien Dubouché National Museum, in the central French city of Limoges, was robbed. Two Chinese porcelain dishes and a vase, all classified as "national treasures," were stolen. The value of the loot was estimated at €6 million.
