Two individuals have been apprehended in connection with the recent theft of eight precious crown jewels from the Louvre Museum during a seven-minute heist in France. One of the suspects was intercepted at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport while trying to board a flight to Algeria, shortly after the robbery where a gang escaped with jewelry valued at £76 million. The suspects were monitored based on forensic evidence linking them to the Louvre vicinity on the day of the theft.
Following standard procedure after a robbery, law enforcement officers were hoping that the suspects would lead them to the stolen items. However, upon spotting one of the suspects at the airport, detectives decided to promptly make the arrests. The individuals were taken to the high-security Paris judicial police headquarters for questioning.
The Louvre Museum had to initiate a lockdown after the thieves, disguised in high-visibility vests, used a mechanical ladder on a truck to access a first-floor balcony. They then broke into the Galerie d’Apollon through a window using power tools before escaping on scooters. The stolen jewelry included a brooch with 2348 diamonds and a tiara with 1083 diamonds, previously worn by Napoléon Bonaparte’s relatives.
During their escape, the culprits dropped a historic headpiece crafted for the Empress Eugénie, which was created for the 1855 Universal Exhibition in Paris. The artifact sustained significant damage and will require extensive restoration work over several months.
President Emmanuel Macron vowed to capture the thieves and recover the stolen items, prompting a widespread search operation. The arrests of the two individuals followed the discovery of at least 150 DNA traces, including fingerprints, left by the burglars at the crime scene. Forensic teams were working to swiftly identify the four individuals involved in the audacious heist.
Authorities expressed optimism about locating the perpetrators, especially if they have prior criminal records that would be logged in police databases. The DNA traces were found on a stolen flatbed truck, as well as on a helmet and glove abandoned at the scene. Officials emphasized the urgency of arresting the suspects promptly to retrieve the stolen jewelry before any alterations to the stones or metals.
The Louvre Museum, renowned as the most visited museum globally, attracted nearly 9 million visitors in 2024, with 80% being tourists, including a significant number from the UK. Those involved in stealing historical artifacts often operate under the direction of dealers who struggle to sell the items on the black market.
The museum has encountered security breaches in the past, notably in 1911 when the Mona Lisa was stolen by an employee and recovered two years later. Following the theft of Le Chemin de Sevres in 1998, a painting by Camille Corot that remains unrecovered, the museum implemented significant security enhancements.