Additional Coverage:
Fourth Suspect Apprehended in Daring Louvre Jewel Heist
PARIS – French authorities believe they have now apprehended all four members of the audacious gang responsible for the theft of France’s crown jewels from the Louvre Museum, following the arrest of a 39-year-old man earlier this week. The Paris prosecutor’s office announced Friday that the individual, who has a prior criminal record, is thought to be the final member of the team.
Prosecutor Laure Beccuau, leading the investigation, stated that the suspect has six previous convictions, including for receiving stolen goods. He now faces preliminary charges of robbery by an organized gang, which carries a potential 15-year prison sentence, and criminal conspiracy, punishable by up to 10 years if convicted for his alleged role in the October 19th heist. The stolen jewels are estimated to be worth a staggering 88 million euros ($102 million), not including their immense historical significance.
While the prosecutor’s statement did not detail the man’s specific role, the daylight robbery involved angle grinders, a freight lift, and the robbers disguising themselves as workers in bright vests. Three other individuals initially taken into custody this week have since been released without charge.
Investigators are continuing their efforts to locate the unrecovered jewels and meticulously determine each person’s involvement in the organized criminal group, as well as to clarify the planning and execution of the theft. The robbery is believed to have been carried out by a four-person team: two individuals who breached the museum’s ornate Apollo Gallery where the jewels were displayed, and two associates who facilitated their escape on motorbikes.
Three other men, previously identified as suspected members of the robbery team, were arrested in October and face preliminary charges of theft by an organized gang and criminal conspiracy. DNA evidence was reportedly found at the scene or on items connected to the robbery.
Additionally, a woman, the longtime partner of one of the alleged robbers, was arrested in October and faces preliminary charges of complicity in theft and criminal conspiracy. She has denied any involvement.
The unrecovered items include a diamond-and-emerald necklace gifted by Napoleon to Empress Marie-Louise, jewels linked to 19th-century Queens Marie-Amélie and Hortense, and Empress Eugénie’s pearl-and-diamond tiara.
The heist has brought security at the Louvre under intense scrutiny. The museum’s director has acknowledged a “terrible failure” and committed to installing new surveillance cameras and anti-intrusion systems.
The thieves reportedly took less than eight minutes to force their way into the museum and exit, utilizing a freight lift to access one of the building’s windows. Museum camera footage revealed that the two individuals who entered the Apollo Gallery used grinders to cut into the jewelry display cases.
Notably, the emerald-set imperial crown of Napoleon III’s wife, Empress Eugénie, containing over 1,300 diamonds, was later discovered outside the museum.