Police have arrested two men in connection with the daring daylight robbery at the Louvre Museum that left France stunned and embarrassed. The suspects are accused of stealing nine pieces of historic jewelry valued at more than $100 million from the museum’s Apollo Gallery last week.
The Paris prosecutor’s office said that one suspect was caught as he tried to leave the country. He was arrested at Charles de Gaulle Airport during a passport check before boarding a flight to Algeria. Both suspects are in their thirties, already known to police, and come from the Paris suburb of Aubervilliers. Two more suspects believed to be involved in the heist are still being sought.
Investigators were able to track down the men by analyzing more than 150 DNA samples collected from the scene. Forensic teams spent days combing through the debris left behind after the thieves broke into the museum using an angle grinder and a truck-mounted ladder.
The thieves entered through a second-floor window of the Apollo Gallery, which houses France’s royal crown jewels. Once inside, they smashed two high-security glass cases and escaped within minutes. The gallery is one of the most ornate areas of the Louvre, known for its gilded ceilings and priceless artifacts.
Louvre director Laurence des Cars called the theft a “terrible failure.” Speaking to the French Senate, she admitted that the gallery’s second-floor balcony had no active security cameras at the time of the break-in. France’s Justice Minister later said the robbery exposed serious flaws in museum security, including unsecured windows and heavy maintenance equipment left in public access areas.
The stolen collection included an emerald and diamond necklace originally gifted by Napoleon Bonaparte to his second wife, Empress Marie-Louise. Other items included a sapphire and diamond tiara worn by Queen Marie-Amélie and a jewelry set belonging to Queen Hortense. None of the jewels have been recovered so far.
French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez praised investigators for their persistence, saying they “worked tirelessly and with complete dedication.” Around 100 investigators continue to search for the remaining suspects and for any signs of the missing jewels.
The heist lasted only seven minutes, but its impact has been enormous. The Louvre, which attracts nearly nine million visitors each year, was forced to close parts of the museum for several days while police examined the scene. The French government has since ordered a full security review of the country’s major cultural institutions.
For many in France, the robbery brought back memories of another famous theft from the same museum. In 1911, the Mona Lisa was stolen and hidden for two years before being recovered. That incident made the painting world famous and permanently changed how museums handle security.
Now, over a century later, history appears to have repeated itself. The Louvre once again finds itself at the center of an international investigation, hoping the stolen treasures will be found and returned to their rightful place.
(BBC News, The Guardian, Reuters, ABC News, PEOPLE Magazine, TIME Magazine, The Washington Post)
