A French public prosecutor expressed strong disapproval regarding the premature announcement of the arrests of two suspects involved in the Louvre jewelry heist. The prosecutor, Laure Beccuau, criticized the disclosure of this information by individuals with prior knowledge, stating that it could hamper the efforts of the investigators working on the case.
Although the exact number of arrests was not disclosed, Beccuau confirmed that one man was apprehended while attempting to leave the country from Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport. Reports suggest that a second individual was also arrested in the Paris region on the same evening. However, the prosecutor did not provide any updates on the recovery of the stolen jewelry taken from the Louvre.
According to French media sources, both suspects are natives of Seine-Saint-Denis, a suburb north of Paris. They were swiftly apprehended by the police after being under surveillance for several days. The authorities acted decisively when they realized that one of the suspects was planning to flee the country, with one of them being intercepted just before boarding a flight to Algeria.
Beccuau, who serves as the Paris Prosecutor and heads France’s anti-organized crime division known as JUNALCO, mentioned that it was premature to disclose further details at the moment. The suspects are currently in pre-trial detention as the police investigate charges of “organized theft” and “criminal conspiracy.”
Interior Minister Laurent Nunez commended the investigators for their diligent work and emphasized the importance of continuing the investigations while maintaining the confidentiality of the case. The suspects are believed to be part of a criminal gang responsible for the daring daylight robbery at the renowned museum, where they used a cherry picker to access the Apollo Gallery window and stole jewels valued at £76 million.
The stolen items include several precious royal pieces such as sapphire and emerald necklaces, as well as a diamond brooch adorned with 2,438 diamonds. Additionally, the thieves took the emerald crown of Napoleon III’s wife, Empress Eugenie, but inadvertently dropped it during their escape. Despite sustaining damage, the crown was later recovered.
