Parisian Police Arrest Two in Connection to Louvre Robbery
Two men have been arrested in connection with the brazen robbery of France's crown jewels from the Louvre Museum. Read on for the details of this historic heist and how the suspects were caught.
French Law Enforcement Arrest Two in Connection with Louvre Robbery
Police in France have confirmed that they have arrested two men in their thirties in connection with last week's robbery of millions of dollars of jewels from the Louvreâs Apollo Gallery. The thieves raided the coffers in broad daylight, leaving the scene with jewels worth tens of millions of dollars.
Louvre director Laurence des Cars referred to the lack of security as a "terrible failure." The director admitted to the French Senate last week that there were no security cameras monitoring the second-floor balcony that the thieves used to access the jewels. The thieves reportedly used an angle grinder to break into the jewel case.
Law enforcement used over 150 DNA samples left behind at the scene of the crime to identify the suspects. Both of the men hail from the Parisian suburb of Aubervilliers. Police said that one of the men was trying to leave the country when he was detained. Two more suspects identified in connection with the crime remain at large.
Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau confirmed that one of the suspects when on his way to leave France from Charles de Gaulle airport. The man was arrested during a routine passport check as he was preparing to board a flight to Algeria.
The stolen jewels encompassed nine separate pieces, including an emerald necklace featuring over 1,000 diamonds. Napoleon Bonaparte originally gave the necklace to his second wife. None of the jewels have been recovered thus far.
Franceâs Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez applauded the investigators for working "tirelessly" to locate the suspects.
About the Heist
The robbery grabbed all of the headlines last weekend across Europe. The thieves raided the Louvre's famed Apollo Gallery, located on the iconic museum's upper floor. The suspects used a ladder to gain access to the ornate gallery, climbing through a window.
It only took seven minutes for the thieves to break two display cases to steal the nine items. In addition to the emerald necklace, the robbers also escaped with a diamond and sapphire jewelry set, including a large tiara and necklace once worn by Queen Marie-Amélie and Queen Hortense.
The first internal alarm was triggered immediately after the display case was broken. Five staff members inside the gallery implemented the official security protocol to alert authorities. The thieves were able to escape through the broken window, climbing down the ladder that they had brought to initially enter the premises. The men then hopped on two Yamaha T-Max scooters to escape along the banks of the Seine River. This part of Paris is a popular tourist destination, full of visitors at this time of day.
The first officers to arrive on the scene recovered the two angle grinders, as well as a blowtorch, a walkie-talkie, and a blanket. The looters also left behind a damaged crown from the collection of Empress Eugénie. Featuring 1,354 diamonds and 56 emeralds, the crown was likely dropped as the robbers made their escape.
The world's most famous museum was evacuated shortly after the alarms sounded. There were about 2,000 visitors inside at the time.
Beccuau confirmed that the jewelry was estimated to be worth about $102 million. She also noted that approximately 100 investigators were assigned to the case. French Justice Minister GĂ©rald Darmanin admitted the several security failings had been exposed at the famed museum as a result of the heist.
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