Police have apprehended suspects linked to the daring theft of priceless jewels from Paris’ famed Louvre Museum, including one man who was reportedly attempting to flee the country, according to the Paris prosecutor’s office.
The arrest marks a major breakthrough in the investigation into last week’s audacious daylight robbery at the Louvre’s Apollo Gallery, where thieves made off with jewelry valued in the tens of millions within minutes.
Dozens of investigators have been working around the clock to track down those behind what Louvre director Laurence des Cars described as a “terrible failure.”
According to French media reports, including CNN affiliate BFMTV, two men in their thirties, both known to law enforcement, were detained on Saturday evening. Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau confirmed that “one of the men arrested was preparing to leave the territory from Roissy airport,” also known as Charles de Gaulle Airport, near Paris.
Beccuau did not specify how many individuals were arrested or whether any of the stolen jewels have been recovered.
France’s Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez praised the investigative teams for their perseverance, stating they “have worked tirelessly, as I asked them to, and who have always had my full confidence.”
The heist, carried out last weekend, targeted the Apollo Gallery, a lavish hall on the museum’s upper level that houses France’s Crown Jewels.
The robbers reportedly used a truck-mounted ladder to reach a window, gaining access to the gallery before smashing into two reinforced display cases.
In just seven minutes, they made off with nine valuable pieces, the French culture ministry said.
Among the stolen items was a diamond-and-sapphire jewelry set once worn by Queen Marie-Amélie and Queen Hortense.
The loot, valued at around €88 million ($102 million), represents one of the most significant art thefts in recent French history. Beccuau told RTL Radio that roughly 100 investigators have been assigned to the manhunt.
One week after the theft, BFMTV reported that the investigation is “accelerating.”
In the aftermath of the robbery, French Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin acknowledged that the incident revealed serious lapses in museum security.
“One can wonder about the fact that, for example, the windows hadn’t been secured, about the fact that a basket lift was on a public road,” Darmanin said on France Inter radio. “What is certain is that we have failed.”
