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French authorities have arrested two suspects in connection with last week's daring daylight robbery at the Louvre Museum, during which thieves stole crown jewels valued at an estimated €88 million ($102 million).
According to the Paris prosecutor's office, one of the suspects was apprehended while attempting to board a flight from Charles de Gaulle Airport, allegedly bound for Algeria. The second was detained in a separate operation as police intensified their pursuit of the four-person gang responsible for the theft. DNA evidence recovered from gloves and clothing left at the scene reportedly led investigators to one of the men.
The brazen heist took place last Sunday morning when thieves used a vehicle-mounted lift to access the museum's Galerie d'Apollon, the same gallery that houses France's Crown Jewels. After cutting through a first-floor window with power tools, the intruders subdued guards and smashed two display cases, escaping within minutes on scooters waiting outside. Among the pieces stolen were an 18th-century diamond tiara once worn by Empress Eugénie, a sapphire necklace belonging to Queen Hortense, and a pair of pearl-encrusted earrings.
French Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin acknowledged a "failure of security protocols," noting that the museum's external cameras were either poorly positioned or nonfunctional at the time. Louvre Director Laurence des Cars later told French senators that one-third of the rooms in the Apollo Gallery had no CCTV coverage.
Experts have expressed concern that the stolen items may already have been dismantled. Dutch art detective Arthur Brand warned that the gems could be "cut and scattered into hundreds of smaller stones," making recovery almost impossible.
In response, the Louvre has transferred several remaining crown jewels to the Bank of France for safekeeping in its underground vaults, 26 meters below ground.
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez praised the swift arrests, saying investigators had worked "tirelessly and with total commitment." However, at least two members of the gang remain at large, and authorities have not yet confirmed whether any of the stolen jewels have been recovered.
