Police arrest suspects over brazen jewel theft from Paris’ Louvre Museum

Police have arrested suspects in connection with the theft of France’s crown jewels from the Louvre Museum, just as one of them attempted to leave the country, according to the Paris prosecutor’s office.

The suspects allegedly carried out a daylight raid on the museum’s Apollo Gallery last week, escaping with jewellery worth tens of millions of euros within minutes. The Louvre’s director, Laurence des Cars, described the incident as a “terrible failure.”

French media first reported the arrests, with CNN affiliate BFMTV disclosing that two men in their thirties, both known to police, were detained on Saturday evening. 

Investigators reportedly identified the suspects through DNA traces. BFMTV added that both men are from Aubervilliers, a suburb of Paris, where one of them was arrested.

Authorities said at least two other suspects remain on the run. Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau revealed that “one of the men arrested was preparing to leave the territory from Roissy airport,” also known as Charles de Gaulle airport. BFMTV reported that he was apprehended during a passport check before boarding an evening flight to Algeria.

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The prosecutor did not confirm the number of arrests or whether any of the stolen jewels had been recovered.

France’s Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez praised the investigators for their work, saying they “have worked tirelessly, as I asked them to, and who have always had my full confidence.”

The thieves are believed to have used a truck-mounted ladder to access the Apollo Gallery through a window. The gallery, located on the museum’s upper floor, houses the French Crown Jewels and is considered one of its most ornate rooms.

Following the robbery, French Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin acknowledged the security lapses that allowed the heist to occur. 

“One can wonder about the fact that, for example, the windows hadn’t been secured, about the fact that a basket lift was on a public road,” he said on France Inter radio. “What is certain is that we have failed.”

(CNN)

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