Two men have been arrested in connection with the spectacular heist that took place last Sunday at the Louvre Museum in Paris, where a gang of four people stole jewelry worth approximately 88 million euros.
Authorities confirmed that one of the suspects was arrested on Saturday night at Charles de Gaulle airport, just before boarding a flight to Algeria. The second was located later in the greater Paris area.
Read: Louvre: Two arrested suspects known to authorities – New evidence from investigations
Both are approximately thirty years old, known to authorities and charged with organized theft and criminal conspiracy.
Louvre heist: The items that betrayed them
According to police sources cited by France Inter, the two men were identified through forensic DNA analysis on items they left behind at the crime scene: helmets, high-visibility vests, angle grinders and other tools.
More than 150 DNA samples, fingerprints and traces are being examined by forensic laboratories in Paris.
French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez congratulated the investigators and called on the media to respect the confidentiality of the investigation, so that the operation to recover the stolen goods can be completed.
The precious items stolen from the Louvre
The French Ministry of Culture published the complete catalog of jewelry removed from the Apollo Gallery — the iconic hall of the Louvre where royal treasures are displayed.
Among the stolen items include:
• Tiara and necklace with sapphires from the set of Queens Marie-Amélie and Hortense
• Earrings and brooches with emeralds from Empress Marie Louise’s set
• Tiara and large brooch of Empress Eugénie
One of the items, Eugénie’s tiara, was found broken under a museum window, confirming the perpetrators’ violent escape.
How the “heist of the century” happened
The attack occurred around 09:30 in the morning. The perpetrators used a hydraulic lift attached to a truck to gain access to a gallery window.
Wearing hoods and carrying angle grinders, they smashed the display cases and grabbed the jewelry in less than ten minutes. They then escaped on two Yamaha TMAX motorcycles.
No injuries were reported, while authorities found the lift abandoned outside the museum. The investigation continues with the participation of more than 100 investigators.
