French authorities have arrested two of the suspects in the theft of precious jewels from the Louvre Museum in a heist that shocked the world, officials said Sunday.
A large number of investigators were mobilized to follow the trail of thieves who robbed the world-famous museum in broad daylight on October 19, making off with jewelry valued at around $102 million in just a few minutes.
Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau said that “the arrests were made on Saturday evening.”
“One of the arrested men was about to leave the country from Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport,” Beccuau said.
A source close to the case told AFP that the man was about to board a plane to Algeria.
The second man was arrested not long after in the Paris Region, media reported.
The two men were taken into custody on suspicion of organized robbery and criminal conspiracy. They can be held for up to 96 hours.
Beccuau expressed regret over the public disclosure of the arrests, which were initially reported in the media, warning that they “could hinder the efforts of the 100 investigators mobilized” in the search for the jewels and the perpetrators of the robbery.
Interior Minister Laurent Nunez also called for maintaining confidentiality, praising investigators “who have worked tirelessly,” in a post on X.
In the robbery that took place last Sunday, thieves climbed a ladder of a stolen transport truck and, using cutting equipment, entered a gallery on the first floor that houses precious stones.
They threw away a crown adorned with diamonds and emeralds as they fled down the stairs and then on scooters, but managed to steal eight other pieces of jewelry, including an emerald and diamond pendant that Napoleon Bonaparte had given to his wife, Empress Marie-Louise.
This theft has resonated around the world and has sparked debate in France about the security of cultural institutions.
The director of the Louvre has admitted that the thieves took advantage of a “blind spot” in the museum’s external surveillance system.
But Beccuau said public and private security cameras in other areas have enabled detectives to follow the thieves’ trail “in Paris and the surrounding Regions.”
Investigators also managed to find DNA samples and fingerprints at the scene from objects left behind by the thieves during their escape, including gloves, a reflective vest, a metal-cutting torch and power tools.
They also threw away a crown that once belonged to Empress Eugenie, wife of Napoleon III, which was damaged and needs restoration.
The other pieces have not yet been found and are at risk of falling apart, with their precious metal holders likely to melt.
Nunez expressed “concern for the jewels” in an interview with French weekly La Tribune Dimanche on Sunday, saying the robbery appeared to have been carried out by an organized criminal group, but added that “thieves are always eventually caught.”
“Loot is unfortunately often hidden abroad. I hope that this time it will not be like that — I remain optimistic,” he added.
The Louvre robbery is the latest in a string of thefts that have targeted French museums.
Less than 24 hours after the break-in at the Louvre, a museum in eastern France reported the theft of gold and silver coins after a broken display case was found.
Last month, criminals broke into the Natural History Museum in Paris, stealing gold pieces worth over $1.5 million. A Chinese woman has been arrested and charged with involvement in the theft.
Culture Minister Rachida Dati said on Friday in X that she had requested the results of an investigation into Louvre security by the beginning of next week, in order to “announce concrete measures for securing” the museum.
