Louvre Heist: Two Suspects Arrested in $102 Million Jewelry Theft
One of the items stolen during the heist.
By SyndicatedNews | SNN.BZ
French authorities have arrested two men in connection with last week’s audacious daylight robbery at the Louvre Museum in Paris, where thieves made off with eight pieces of priceless jewelry from the Apollo Gallery, valued at approximately €88 million (about $102 million). The heist, executed in under eight minutes by a team of four hooded suspects who scaled the museum’s exterior using a truck-mounted ladder, has exposed significant security flaws at the world’s most-visited cultural institution. [Le Parisien] [Le Figaro] [France 24]
Key Details of the Arrests
- Timing and Locations: The arrests occurred on Saturday evening, October 25, 2025. One suspect, in his 30s and from the Seine-Saint-Denis suburb north of Paris, was detained around 10 p.m. local time at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (Roissy) as he prepared to board a flight to Algeria. [Le Figaro] [BFMTV] The second suspect was apprehended shortly afterward in the Paris region. [Le Figaro]
- Suspect Profiles: Both men are in their 30s, hail from Seine-Saint-Denis, and have prior records with French police. DNA evidence from items left at the scene—such as gloves and a high-visibility jacket—helped identify at least one of them. [RTL] [BFMTV]
- Stolen Items: The haul includes French crown jewels, such as a diamond necklace once owned by Empress Eugénie (wife of Napoleon III), which was reportedly dropped during the escape. It’s unclear if any jewels were recovered during the arrests, but authorities have moved other high-value pieces to a secure vault at the Bank of France for safekeeping. [RTL] [France Bleu]
The Heist Breakdown
On October 19, 2025, the four thieves—disguised as construction workers—exploited a blind spot in the Louvre’s surveillance by climbing to a first-floor balcony via a moving truck’s extendable ladder. They cut through a window, smashed display cases in the Apollo Gallery, and fled on motorbikes toward southeastern France (last spotted heading to Lyon via Highway A6). [France 24] [BFMTV] A recently surfaced video allegedly shows two of them escaping using a furniture lift, adding to the investigation’s leads. [Europe 1]
The Louvre closed briefly after the theft and has since reopened amid heightened security. Director Laurence des Cars testified before French senators that outdated cameras (one was pointed away from the entry point) and inadequate infrastructure contributed to the breach, despite prior warnings to officials. [Europe 1] [RTL] President Emmanuel Macron has announced an €80 million ($93 million) overhaul, including more cameras and updated access systems.<grok:render
