Two individuals have been apprehended in connection with the recent burglary at the Louvre Museum, during which eight valuable crown jewels of France were stolen. One of the suspects was seized at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport while trying to board a flight to Algeria shortly after the daylight robbery, where a gang escaped with jewelry valued at £76 million. The suspects came under surveillance following forensic evidence linking them to the Louvre premises on the day of the incident.
Following standard procedure post-robbery, authorities anticipated that the suspects might lead them to the stolen items. Upon spotting one suspect at the airport, detectives swiftly made the decision to arrest them. The suspects were taken to the secure headquarters of the Paris judicial police for questioning.
The Louvre went into lockdown immediately after the heist, as the gang, disguised in high-visibility vests, utilized a mechanical ladder attached to a truck to access a first-floor balcony. They then broke into the Galerie d’Apollon using power tools before escaping on scooters.
Among the stolen pieces were a brooch containing 2348 diamonds and a tiara adorned with 1083 diamonds, all previously worn by Napoléon Bonaparte’s relatives. As they fled, the thieves dropped a valuable headpiece crafted for Empress Eugénie, Napoléon III’s wife, during the 1855 Universal Exhibition in Paris, which sustained significant damage requiring intricate restoration.
President Emmanuel Macron vowed to capture the culprits and recover the stolen items as an extensive search operation was launched. The recent arrests follow the discovery of over 150 DNA traces, including fingerprints, left by the burglars at the crime scene. Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau expressed confidence in identifying the four thieves quickly through forensic analysis of the samples.
Beccuau stated that if the perpetrators have prior convictions, their DNA profiles should already be in police databases. The trace samples were found on a stolen truck, as well as on a discarded helmet and glove at the scene. Authorities aim to swiftly apprehend the thieves to retrieve the jewelry before any stones are removed or metals melted.
The Louvre, a renowned museum attracting millions of visitors annually, faced security breaches in the past, including the infamous 1911 theft of the Mona Lisa and the unrecovered 1998 theft of Le Chemin de Sevres by Camille Corot, prompting enhancements in museum security protocols.