Two men were arrested in connection with a recent theft at the Louvre Museum, where crown jewels valued at approximately €88 million were stolen on October 19. Officials report that the suspects have “partially recognised” their involvement in the crime. The theft occurred in broad daylight when four individuals used power tools to access the museum’s Apollon gallery.
The arrested men, both in their thirties and with prior criminal records, were identified through DNA evidence collected during the investigation. One man attempted to flee to Algeria, while the other was not planning to leave France. Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau stated that there is no evidence at this time to suggest that the theft was orchestrated by someone associated with the museum.
Despite the apprehension of the two suspects, Beccuau indicated that the gang may include additional members beyond those captured on CCTV. Details regarding potential recipients of the stolen jewels remain unclear. A crown belonging to Empress Eugenie, the wife of Napoleon III, was dropped during the escape, and damage to it is currently being assessed.
The robbery took place shortly after the museum opened, with the assailants using a stolen vehicle-mounted lift to access the gallery and a disc cutter to open display cases housing the jewelry. The entire operation lasted approximately four minutes, during which no visitors were threatened. Following the incident, security measures at cultural institutions throughout France have been increased.
In response to the robbery, the Louvre has relocated some of its most valuable jewels to the Bank of France, where they will be stored in a secure vault located 26 meters below the ground.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c77z607g14go?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss