Two suspects arrested in connection with Louvre jewel heist: Reports

French authorities have detained two men suspected of stealing precious crown jewels from the Louvre in a daring daylight robbery on October 19, officials confirmed Sunday.

Investigators mobilized swiftly after the heist, which saw thieves make off with jewellery valued at around USD 102 million in just minutes.

A source close to the case stated that the suspects, both in their thirties and from Seine-Saint-Denis near Paris, were previously known to the police for theft-related offences. One was arrested at Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport while attempting to board a flight to Algeria, and the second was taken into custody shortly after in the Paris region.

Both men face charges of organised theft and criminal conspiracy and could be held for up to 96 hours.

Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau confirmed the arrests but criticized the public disclosure, noting that it “can only hinder the efforts of the 100 investigators mobilised” to recover the stolen jewels. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez echoed the call for confidentiality, praising the investigators for their “tireless” work.

On October 19, the heist involved robbers using an extendable ladder from a stolen moving truck to access a gallery housing royal gems. While they dropped a diamond- and emerald-studded crown during their escape on scooters, they successfully stole eight other items, including an emerald-and-diamond necklace once gifted by Napoleon Bonaparte to Empress Marie-Louise. Another crown belonging to Empress Eugenie was also dropped and damaged during the theft.

The Louvre’s director acknowledged the thieves exploited a blind spot in the museum’s external surveillance, though Beccuau said public and private security cameras helped detectives track the suspects in Paris and surrounding areas. DNA samples and fingerprints from gloves, a high-vis vest, a blowtorch, and power tools left at the scene further aided the investigation.

Nunez expressed concern for the stolen items, warning they risk being broken apart and melted down. “Thieves are always eventually caught,” he said, adding that the loot is “often stashed abroad” and expressing hope that is not the case here.

The Louvre heist is part of a recent wave of museum robberies in France. Within 24 hours, a museum in eastern France reported stolen gold and silver coins. Last month, Paris’s Natural History Museum was targeted, with gold nuggets worth over USD 1.5 million taken; a Chinese national has been detained in connection with that theft.

Culture Minister Rachida Dati said she has requested a full investigation into the Louvre’s security to “announce concrete measures to secure” the museum. Meanwhile, Alexandre Portier, head of the National Assembly’s cultural affairs committee, proposed a 50 million euro (USD 58 million) emergency fund in the national budget to protect France’s heritage.