French authorities have arrested two men suspected of stealing more than $100 million in crown jewels from the Louvre Museum during a daring daytime robbery that stunned the nation.
According to Le Parisien, both men in their thirties from Seine-Saint-Denis were already known to police for prior robberies. One of the suspects was captured at Charles de Gaulle Airport as he attempted to board a flight to Algeria.
The stunning theft took place on October 19, when a four-man crew disguised in yellow vests and motorcycle helmets used a cherry picker to reach the Louvre’s Apollo Gallery, home to France’s historic Crown Jewels.
In under four minutes, the robbers sawed through display glass and made off with eight pieces valued at $102 million, including a sapphire diadem, necklace, and earring once linked to 19th-century queens Marie-Amélie and Hortense. Visitors watched in disbelief as alarms rang and the thieves sped away on motorbikes, abandoning and burning their equipment nearby.
A corsage-bow brooch of Empress Eugénie, whose emerald crown, set with more than 1,300 diamonds, was later found damaged but recoverable outside the museum.
Prosecutor Laure Beccuau said the suspects were caught through “means of public and private security cameras” but declined to give further information, warning that leaked details could jeopardize the ongoing investigation.
“This disclosure can only hinder the efforts of the roughly 100 investigators mobilized both to recover the stolen jewels and to identify all those involved. It is too early to share specific details,” she said.
Investigators believe the high-profile heist was carried out on commission, possibly for an international buyer. Their coordinated timing and precision have led officials to suspect an inside job, with one museum employee reportedly under review.
Police say the investigation is ongoing as authorities work to locate the missing jewels and the accomplices still at large.
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