The investigation for the Theft of the Crown Jewels at the Louvre Museum The investigation is progressing steadily: the Paris Prosecutor's Office confirmed five new arrests, bringing the total number of those detained for the audacious heist at the Galeries d'Apolo to seven. Among the latest detainees is a suspect believed to have been part of the group that carried out the break-in.
The case has put the security of France's most visited museum under scrutiny, after management admitted shortcomings in video surveillance from key areas of the building. The stolen pieces, of great historical and economic value, have still not been recovered, fueling fears of its dismantling.
The investigation: arrests, DNA and first admissions
With the latest raids in Paris and Seine-Saint-Denis, prosecutor Laure Beccuau explained that three of the four alleged perpetrators The perpetrators of the assault have been identified and are in custody. The arrests came after eleven days of tracking and continuous surveillance.
The first two arrested —apprehended the previous weekend— were placed under formal investigation for organized gang robbery and criminal association. Both offered a “partial” admission after nearly 96 hours of questioning, according to the prosecution.
The profile of those arrested includes a 34-year-old man, of Algerian nationality, linked by DNA found on one of the scooters used in the escape. The other, a 39-year-old resident of the northern outskirts of Paris, was linked through genetic remains found on a fragment of display case glass.
The police operation, involving more than 100 officers, has already analyzed more than 150 forensic samples and dozens of items recovered at the crime scene: gloves, helmets and reflective vests, among others.
To this day, the prosecution maintains that There is no evidence of internal complicity in the museum. The criminal offense under investigation carries penalties of up to 15 years in prison and heavy fines.
This is how the coup was carried out
The gang acted with precision: disguised as construction workersThe thieves used a truck with a liftgate to reach a window of the Apollo Gallery in broad daylight.
According to the evidence, on October 19 the platform was raised to the balcony, a window was forced open and, in just minutes, the intruders They opened two high-security display cases with cutting tools. The escape was just as swift, with the getaway on two scooters heading east from the capital.
The device appears to have been prepared in advance: authorities are investigating the prior appropriation of a forklift truck through deception, and the use of moving service advertisements to facilitate the plan without raising suspicion.
Security cameras captured part of the sequence, and a video released after the robbery showed the suspects. descending the platform before disappearing from the place.
The almost immediate arrival of police and security guards prevented the thieves from succeeding. They set the vehicle on fire. to erase evidence, which was key to preserving traces of forensic interest.
What they took and how much it's worth
The loot amounts to nine pieces from the Napoleonic eraAmong them a spectacular emerald necklace with more than a thousand diamonds that Napoleon gave to his second wife.
Among the stolen works are also a set of diamonds and sapphires linked to queens Maria Amalia and Hortense, and other emblematic pieces of the French Crown.
The preliminary estimate places the total around 88 millones de euros (about $102 million), a figure that reflects both the rarity and the symbolic weight of the set.
Experts consulted warn that, to make their identification more difficult, criminals could dismantle the jewelry for sale metals and gems separately on the black market.
The prosecution has insisted that, as they stand, the pieces are unplaceable in the legal circuitBuying or attempting to sell them constitutes the crime of receiving stolen goods.
Security holes under scrutiny
The director of the Louvre, Laurence des Cars, acknowledged before the Senate that the thieves gained access through the balcony. There were no cameras correctly oriented and that some rooms in the Denon wing lacked video surveillance coverage.
The Paris police prefect, Patrice Faure, explained that the first alert did not come from the museum's system but from a cyclist who called emergency services upon seeing suspicious movements next to an elevator on the facade.
Faure also pointed out the existence of aging equipment—some of it still analog—and of delays in cabling work whose end is planned for the medium term. The authorization for certain cameras even expired months ago.
The case has reopened the national debate on how to protect cultural heritage In France, the Ministry of Culture is promoting reinforcements and audits in key centers.
Meanwhile, the Louvre is reviewing internal procedures and exterior coverings for close potential blind spots and accelerate critical maintenance.
What's next?
The priorities include locating the support network, tracing the tools and vehicles employees and make the most of the genetic and fingerprint evidence already collected.
The Public Prosecutor's Office has reiterated its appeal: there is still time to return the jewelry and cooperate with the investigation, warning that any attempt to sell will be easily detectable.
The researchers are confident that the growth of the police cordon, combined with the nature unique and identifiable of the parts, increase the recovery options.
Meanwhile, the museum and French authorities are finalizing security plans to prevent such a heist. fast and quiet do not find new gaps to exploit.
With seven people already arrested, solid genetic evidence, and a detailed portrait of the modus operandi, the case enters a decisive phase in which the The main objective is to rescue the heritage without damage and to forever bolster the protection of the collections.
