In a dramatic turn in one of Europe’s most audacious art crimes, French authorities have arrested two men linked to last week’s multi-million-dollar jewel heist at the Louver Museum — a theft that stunned the world and left the nation reeling over its breached cultural pride.
Officials from the French National Police confirmed to ABC News that the arrests mark a crucial breakthrough in their high-profile investigation. However, two other suspects remain at large, sparking an ongoing nationwide and cross-border manhunt.
Arrests at Paris Airport and the Edge of Escape
The first suspect’s luck ran out on Saturday night around 10 p.m. when he was apprehended at Charles de Gaulle Airport, moments before boarding a flight bound for Algeria, police said.
The second man, who was also preparing to flee, was intercepted by the Brigade for the Repression of Banditry (BRB) — the elite anti-crime unit handling the case — just as he attempted to travel to Mali in West Africa, investigators told ABC News.
Sources from the French Interior Ministry revealed that both suspects are French nationals residing in Seine-Saint-Denis, a densely populated suburb on the northern fringe of Paris.
One holds dual French-Malian citizenship, while the other has dual French-Algerian nationality, and both are well known to police for prior burglary and theft cases.
DNA Clues and Surveillance Led to the Capture
Detectives say the breakthrough came after forensic teams discovered trace DNA evidence on a motorcycle helmet left behind at the scene of the crime.
The sample matched one of the suspects already in police databases, allowing investigators to place the man under tight physical and phone surveillance before finally closing in.
According to senior BRB officials, both arrested individuals are believed to have played direct and active roles in the October 19th robbery, in which thieves executed a lightning-fast raid inside the Louver’s Apollo Gallery, escaping with eight priceless jewels, including diamond-encrusted crowns, emerald necklaces, and sapphire sets once worn by French royalty.
The stolen treasures, valued at over $102 million, remain missing. Investigators suspect they may already be in the hands of international traffickers or private black-market buyers.
Search for Inside Help Continues
Authorities are now pursuing a new line of inquiry — whether an insider within the Louver may have provided the robbers with crucial information about the gallery’s security systems, guard schedules, or camera blind spots.
An investigator close to the case told ABC News that the “precision and timing” of the heist suggest knowledge from someone familiar with the museum’s internal layout.
Surveillance gaps and alarm delays allowed the robbers to strike and vanish in under seven minutes, evading dozens of security guards in one of the most heavily protected museums on Earth.
Officials Praise Progress Amid Public Pressure
While the missing jewels remain a haunting mystery, the arrests have been hailed as a significant step forward in restoring public confidence.
French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez, in a statement posted on social media Sunday, praised the relentless work of investigators, writing that the operation represented “a major stride in uncovering the truth behind this shocking act against our national heritage.”
The Louver, meanwhile, continues to draw massive crowds — many of whom now visit the museum not just to see its art, but to stand before the sealed Apollo Gallery, where history, loss, and intrigue have fused into legend.
With two suspects in custody, two still on the run, and the fate of the missing jewels unknown, the story of the Louver Heist has evolved into a global saga — part thriller, part tragedy, and wholly unforgettable.