Boecker, the German maker of the lifting equipment used in the Louvre Museum heist in Paris, is riding on an unexpected wave of publicity. The company posted tongue-in-cheek ads online after the robbery, praising the quality of its Agilo lift.
The device, which can reportedly carry up to 400 kg, and runs “as quiet as a whisper,” helped thieves reach the Louvre's Apollo Gallery. In just seven minutes, they cut through a window and stole eight priceless jewels. One of these included Napoleon I's gift to his wife, Marie-Louise.
Boecker, based near Dortmund, posted a picture of the mounted truck outside the Paris museum on social media with the caption: “When you need to get going again quickly.”
On the controversy, the company's Managing Director, Alexander Boecke, told AFP the hoist was sold years ago to a French customer who rents such machines around Paris.
Such lifting devices are common in Paris, where many buildings have no elevators. Boecke said the alleged jewel thieves had requested a demonstration of the hoist last week. During the session, they stole the vehicle and later used it in the daring heist.
“They removed the customer's labelling and replaced the license plates,” Boecke told AFP.
Watching the news on Sunday, Boecke, 42, and his wife immediately recognised the hoist as one of theirs. He added that they were relieved that no one had been hurt during the robbery.
“It was, of course, an opportunity for us to use the most famous and most visited museum in the world to get a little attention for our company,” he said.
“The crime is, of course, absolutely reprehensible, that's completely clear to us.”
In Sunday's heist, thieves parked a truck fitted with an extendable ladder beneath the museum's Apollo Gallery soon after it opened. In broad daylight, they climbed the ladder, used cutting tools to slice through a window, and broke into display cases.
Within minutes, they seized eight priceless jewels, including a diamond-studded diadem that belonged to Empress Eugenie.
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