Louvre Museum Robbery/Two Arrested Admit Involvement

2025-10-29 18:10:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Two suspects arrested in connection with the theft of France's crown jewels from the Louvre museum have admitted their involvement in the robbery and have been remanded in custody, the Paris prosecutor's office announced on Wednesday.

The Paris prosecutor also said the stolen jewelry is not in the possession of the authorities. Paris prosecutor Laure Bechuau told a news conference that the two suspects will appear before an investigating judge and could be placed under formal investigation.

The robbery, a seven-minute daylight raid on the Louvre's Apollo Gallery, captured the world's attention after the thieves made off with tens of millions of dollars worth of jewelry. The two men involved were arrested Saturday night and held in custody, where they were questioned for 96 hours. Two other suspects remain at large.

The first suspect, 34 years old, is of Algerian nationality. He had a previous record of traffic violations and was identified through DNA found on one of the scooters. The second suspect, 39 years old, is an illegal taxi driver and delivery driver. He was previously known to the police for aggravated theft. His DNA was found on the broken glass of one of the shop windows.

"There is nothing to suggest that the four perpetrators benefited from any form of internal assistance within the museum. They are currently before an investigating judge with a view to placing them under formal investigation for the crimes of robbery as part of an organized gang – crimes that carry a penalty of fifteen years in prison and a heavy fine," the Paris prosecutor stated.

More than 100 investigators have been involved in the search for the people, and authorities have managed to track down the individuals after analyzing more than 150 DNA samples and examining several items the group left behind, such as gloves, a helmet, and high-visibility jackets left at the scene.

One of the men was arrested at Charles de Gaulle airport while trying to leave the country. He was stopped during a passport check before boarding an evening flight to Algeria.

The stolen jewels, among them an emerald necklace with more than 1,000 diamonds gifted by Napoleon to his second wife, were not found during the arrests.

On October 19, thieves raided the Apollo Gallery on the top floor of the Louvre, where the French Crown Jewels are housed. They used a truck-mounted ladder to enter the gallery, one of the most ornate rooms in the museum, through a window. They forced their way into two high-security display cases and stole nine items, including a diamond and sapphire jewelry set worn by Queen Marie-Amélie and Queen Hortense./ CNA, translated by CNN