Investigators have made arrests in connection with the stunning, $102 million crown jewels heist at the Louvre Museum last Sunday, the Paris prosecutor announced today. The arrests come a week after the high-profile theft that shocked the world and drew comparisons to the cultural tragedy of the Notre Dame fire.
Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau confirmed a special police unit in charge of serious burglaries and art thefts made the arrests Saturday evening. While not confirming the exact number, French media outlets BFM TV and Le Parisien newspaper reported two suspects were taken into custody.
One of the men was apprehended while preparing to depart from Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport.
Race to Recovery
The announcement brings a swift development to a case that has dominated headlines. However, Beccuau did not confirm whether any of the stolen jewels have been recovered. This remains the central question for officials and the public.
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The prosecutor did express dismay over the premature leak of information, stating it could potentially “hinder the work of over 100 investigators mobilized to recover the stolen jewels and apprehend all of the perpetrators.” She promised further details would be released after the suspects’ custody period concludes.
French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez praised the effort, lauding “the investigators who have worked tirelessly, just as I asked them to, and who have always had my full confidence.”
The “Terrible Failure”
Last Sunday, thieves executed a daring raid that took them less than eight minutes to complete. Valued at an estimated 88 million euros ($102 million), the stolen pieces include part of France’s Crown Jewels—a collection of immense historical and cultural significance.
French officials described how the intruders used a basket lift to scale the Louvre’s façade, forced open a window, smashed display cases, and escaped. The museum’s director previously called the incident a “terrible failure,” prompting the Louvre to close temporarily before reopening earlier this week.
The thieves made off with a total of eight objects, including a sapphire diadem, necklace, and single earring linked to 19th-century queens Marie-Amélie and Hortense. Also stolen were an emerald necklace and earrings tied to Empress Marie-Louise, Napoleon Bonaparte’s second wife, and Empress Eugénie’s diamond diadem and corsage-bow brooch—an imperial ensemble of rare craftsmanship.
One piece, Empress Eugénie’s emerald-set imperial crown, was later found outside the museum, damaged but considered repairable.
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