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Paris Prosecutor Expresses Concern Over “Hasty Disclosure” in Louvre Heist Investigation
PARIS – The ongoing manhunt for suspects in the audacious Louvre Museum jewel heist faced a potential setback Monday, as Paris Prosecutor Laure Beccuau voiced strong regret over the premature public disclosure of two arrests made over the weekend. Beccuau fears that the “hasty disclosure” could compromise the integrity of the complex investigation.
In a statement released Sunday night, Prosecutor Beccuau asserted, “I deeply regret the hasty disclosure of this information by informed individuals, without consideration of the investigation.” She emphasized that the untimely revelation “can only harm the investigative efforts of a hundred or so investigators” diligently searching for the stolen jewelry and the remaining perpetrators.
Under French law, the recently apprehended suspects can be detained for up to 96 hours before formal charges must be filed or they are released. Beccuau indicated that further details would be provided only after this initial custody period concludes.
French National Police confirmed the arrests of two men, both in their 30s and hailing from a Paris suburb, over the weekend. These individuals are accused of involvement in the brazen October 19th robbery.
One suspect was apprehended Saturday night at Paris’ Charles de Gaulle Airport while attempting to board a flight to Algeria. The second suspect was detained as he prepared to travel to Mali, West Africa, according to sources from the Paris Brigade for the Repression of Banditry (BRB), the specialized police unit spearheading the investigation, and the French Interior Ministry.
Investigators stated that both suspects, whose identities have not been released, are French nationals residing in Seine-Saint-Denis, a Paris suburb. One holds dual French and Malian citizenship, while the other possesses dual French and Algerian citizenship. Both were previously known to law enforcement for past burglary offenses.
The breakthrough in the case came when trace DNA evidence recovered from a helmet left at the crime scene was matched to one of the suspects. This critical lead allowed police to establish phone and physical surveillance on the alleged thief.
Both individuals are believed to have played active roles in the robbery, which saw eight precious pieces of jewelry, including crowns adorned with thousands of diamonds and other gemstones, stolen. Investigators are also exploring the possibility of an insider accomplice within the Louvre.
The meticulously planned heist involved a team of thieves driving a stolen truck equipped with a “mobile freight elevator” or cherry picker to the side of the museum. Two individuals, disguised as construction workers, used the cherry picker to reach a second-floor window of the Apollo Gallery, which they then cut through using angle grinders.
Once inside the gilded gallery, the thieves employed power tools to breach the glass display cases containing the precious jewels. The entire theft reportedly took a mere seven minutes.
Prosecutor Beccuau estimates the stolen jewels, including crowns, necklaces, earrings, and a diamond-encrusted brooch once belonging to Emperor Napoleon and his wife, to be valued at approximately $102 million. French Culture Minister Rachida Dati remarked last week, “They knew exactly where they were going. It looks like something very organized and very professional.”
The whereabouts of the stolen treasures remain unknown. Among the missing items are a pearl and diamond tiara from the collection of Queen Marie-Amelie and Queen Hortense, featuring 212 pearls and nearly 2,000 diamonds, commissioned by Emperor Napoleon III for his marriage in 1853.
Another tiara from the same collection, composed of sapphires and over 1,000 diamonds, was also taken. A gold, diamond, and emerald crown belonging to Empress Eugenie was damaged during the theft and discovered on the street outside the museum.
Laurence des Cars, president and director of the Louvre, described the heist as “an immense wound that has been inflicted on us” during testimony before France’s Senate Culture Committee. While confirming that all museum alarms and video cameras functioned correctly, des Cars acknowledged a “weakness” in security that the thieves exploited. She noted that the only camera outside the Apollo Gallery was facing west, failing to cover the window used for entry and exit.
“The weakness of the Louvre is its perimeter security, which has been a problem for a long time… certainly due to underinvestment,” des Cars told lawmakers, adding, “We did not spot the criminals arriving from outside early enough.”