French media report that two individuals have been arrested in connection with the theft of priceless crown jewels from the Louvre Museum in Paris.
According to the Paris prosecutor’s office, one suspect was apprehended at Charles de Gaulle Airport as he prepared to board a flight. Authorities said the arrests took place on Saturday evening but did not specify the total number of people in custody. Police sources suggest one man intended to travel to Algeria, while the other was bound for Mali. Specialized investigators are now questioning them, a process that can last up to 96 hours.
The heist occurred last Sunday when four masked thieves used power tools to break into the world-renowned museum in broad daylight. The gang stole items valued at around €88 million (£76m; $102m). France’s justice minister admitted that “security protocols failed,” calling the incident a “national embarrassment.”
Reports indicate the thieves arrived at approximately 09:30 (06:30 GMT) using a vehicle equipped with a mechanical lift to access the Galerie d’Apollon via a balcony overlooking the River Seine. After cutting through a window, they threatened guards, forced an evacuation, and shattered display cases containing the jewels. They fled on two scooters just four minutes later, at 09:38.
A preliminary inquiry revealed serious security gaps—one-third of the rooms in the targeted section had no CCTV coverage. The museum’s director, Laurence des Cars, told French senators that the sole external camera aimed at the Louvre’s wall was pointed away from the balcony used by the thieves, while other surveillance systems were “outdated” and ineffective.
Experts fear the stolen treasures may already be dismantled. Dutch art investigator Arthur Brand told the BBC that the gold and silver could be melted down, and the gemstones recut, making recovery nearly impossible.
In response, France has reinforced security at major cultural institutions. The Louvre has also moved several of its most valuable jewels to the Bank of France, where they are now safeguarded in the institution’s underground vault,26 meters beneath the streets of central Paris.