Police Arrest Suspects in $100 Million Louvre Museum Jewel Heist, One Caught Trying to Flee France

French authorities have announced arrests in the daring jewelry heist at the Louvre Museum in Paris, describing it as one of the most brazen robberies in recent French history. The operation, carried out in broad daylight last week, stunned the country and raised serious concerns about the security of the world’s most visited museum.

According to Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau, several suspects were taken into custody on Saturday evening, though officials did not disclose how many people were arrested. According to French Media, One man was captured at Charles de Gaulle Airport as he attempted to leave France, Beccuau confirmed in a statement on Sunday.

It remains unclear whether police have recovered any of the stolen jewelry, valued at over $100 million. The loot included gem-studded royal tiaras, necklaces, and earrings dating back to the 19th century, pieces considered part of France’s national heritage.

The arrests mark a major breakthrough for investigators, who have been racing against time to track down the thieves before the stolen jewels are dismantled or the precious stones resold on the black market. Experts fear the jewelry could soon be melted down or broken apart to avoid detection.

The theft took place in less than 10 minutes, during daylight hours. Four individuals disguised as maintenance workers used a truck-mounted lift to reach the Louvre’s second floor. Once there, they smashed a window with power tools and entered the Apollo Gallery, home to the museum’s royal jewelry collection.

The thieves used industrial equipment to break through reinforced glass cases, stealing eight priceless artifacts before escaping on motor scooters through a service entrance along the Seine River.

The robbery immediately drew attention to lapses in the museum’s security system. During a Senate hearing last week, Louvre director Laurence des Cars admitted that part of the museum’s security network was “badly outdated.” The only surveillance camera near the entry point was reportedly facing the wrong direction at the time of the heist.

That error, officials said, cost police crucial minutes in responding to the alarm. Though authorities reached the site within three minutes of the alert, the thieves were already gone.

Prosecutor Beccuau criticized the early leak of information to the press, saying it could hinder the work of the “100 investigators” currently assigned to the case. “I deeply regret the hasty disclosure of this information,” she said. “It could compromise the recovery of the jewelry and the pursuit of all those involved.”

In a separate interview with Ouest-France, Beccuau revealed that forensic experts had collected over 150 samples from the scene, including DNA traces and fingerprints. Investigators also recovered gloves, power tools, and a motorcycle helmet believed to have been used in the robbery. Surveillance footage has helped police reconstruct the thieves’ escape route, though officials have withheld details to protect the investigation.

“The amount of media coverage this organized robbery has received gives me hope,” Beccuau told the newspaper. “The perpetrators may be too afraid to move the jewelry far, and we might recover it if we act quickly.”

France’s Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez praised the investigators for their “relentless work” but emphasized that the ongoing probe must remain confidential. He also rejected a proposal by the Louvre’s director to permanently station police inside the museum.

“If we start with the Louvre, we’ll end up putting them everywhere,” Nuñez said in an interview with La Tribune Dimanche. “The nearest police station is close by, and the area is already heavily patrolled.”

The French government is planning a sweeping €80 million ($93 million) security overhaul at the Louvre beginning next year. The upgrades will include modernized surveillance cameras, new access systems, and reinforced monitoring centers part of a larger museum renovation plan announced by President Emmanuel Macron earlier this year.

As of Sunday, authorities had not revealed the names of the suspects or the exact number of arrests. But for many in France, the developments offer a glimmer of hope that the country’s most spectacular art theft in decades may soon be solved.

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Joseph Johnson

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