Two individuals have been apprehended in connection to the theft of France’s priceless crown jewels during a seven-minute heist at the Louvre Museum. One of the suspects was intercepted at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport while trying to board a flight to Algeria days after the robbery, where a gang escaped with jewelry valued at £76 million. The suspects were placed under surveillance following forensic evidence linking them to the vicinity of the Louvre during the incident.
Law enforcement authorities often monitor suspects post-heist in the hope of recovering stolen goods. Detectives made an “emergency decision” to arrest one of the suspects upon spotting him at the airport. The individuals were taken for questioning at the high-security headquarters of the Paris judicial police.
The Louvre Museum was placed on lockdown shortly after the thieves, dressed 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 fleeing on scooters. Among the stolen items were a brooch containing 2348 diamonds and a tiara with 1083 diamonds, previously worn by Napoléon Bonaparte’s relatives.
During their escape, the thieves dropped an ornate headpiece crafted for Empress Eugénie, wife of Napoléon III, at the Universal Exhibition in 1855, causing significant damage that will require months of restoration. President Emmanuel Macron vowed to capture the culprits and retrieve the stolen items as an extensive manhunt was launched.
Following the discovery of at least 150 DNA traces, including fingerprints left by the burglars at the crime scene, investigators are working to identify the four individuals responsible. Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau expressed optimism in swiftly locating the thieves, as their DNA may already be in police databases if they have prior convictions. The trace samples were found on a stolen flatbed truck, a crashed helmet, and a glove abandoned at the scene.
Authorities are eager for a prompt arrest to recover the jewelry before any dismantling or melting of the stones occurs. The Louvre, the world’s most visited museum, attracts millions of visitors annually, with a significant portion being tourists, including many from the UK. Art thieves often operate on behalf of dealers who struggle to sell stolen pieces on the black market.
The museum has a history of security breaches, notably in 1911 when the Mona Lisa was stolen and recovered two years later. In 1998, Le Chemin de Sevres by Camille Corot was stolen and remains unrecovered, prompting enhanced security measures at the museum.
