Two Suspects Nabbed in Louvre Jewelry Theft

Select Language:

French officials have announced the detention of two suspects believed to be involved in the theft of valuable crown jewels from the Louvre, an audacious robbery that captivated global attention. Authorities reported deploying a hundred investigators to apprehend those responsible for the daylight heist on October 19, during which they made off with jewelry valued at approximately $102 million within minutes.

Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau confirmed that the arrests occurred Saturday evening, with sources close to the investigation revealing to AFP that one of the suspects was about to depart from Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport. She further stated that one individual was preparing to fly to Algeria. The second suspect was detained shortly thereafter in the Paris area. Both suspects are being held on charges of organized theft and conspiracy.

During the break-in, the perpetrators used a stolen moving truck’s extendable ladder to access a first-floor gallery. They cut into the display with specialized tools, dropping a diamond and emerald-encrusted crown as they fled on scooters. Despite the chaos, they managed to steal additional pieces, including a necklace adorned with emeralds and diamonds, which historically was a gift from Napoleon Bonaparte to his wife, Empress Marie-Louise.

The daring theft has sparked widespread media coverage and ignited discussions in France about the vulnerability of cultural sites. The Louvre’s director acknowledged that the criminals exploited a blind spot in the museum’s external security camera coverage. However, law enforcement utilized other security footage from public and private cameras across Paris and neighboring regions to track the suspects. Investigators also collected multiple DNA samples and fingerprints from the scene.

This incident marks the latest in a series of art and artifact thefts across France. Less than a day after the Louvre heist, reports arose of a regional museum in eastern France that was burglarized, with thieves smashing a display case and escaping with gold and silver coins. In another recent case, the Natural History Museum in Paris was broken into last month, with thieves stealing gold nuggets worth over $1.5 million. A Chinese woman has been detained and charged in connection with that theft.