5 In Louvre Heist Arrested; Looted Jewels Still Missing

5 In Louvre Heist Arrested; Looted Jewels Still Missing

By Paul V. Young – TheNationWeek.Com | October 30, 2025

PARIS, France— Authorities have arrested five more suspects linked to the theft of France’s crown jewels from the Louvre Museum, according to the Paris prosecutor’s office.

The latest development brings the total number of arrests related to the high-profile heist to seven.

Among the newly arrested suspects, one is suspected of being part of the original four-man gang that executed the theft, as stated by prosecutor Laure Beccuau during an interview with French radio RTL.

Following an extensive 11-day search, police have now captured three of the four individuals believed to have directly participated in the heist, during which they disguised themselves as construction workers to steal artifacts from the Napoleonic era.

Despite the arrests, the investigation has yet to recover any of the stolen treasures valued at over $100 million.

Experts speculate that the jewels, including an emerald necklace adorned with more than 1,000 diamonds that was gifted by Napoleon to his second wife, may have been dismantled for their raw materials.

The latest arrests occurred on Wednesday night (October 29, 2025) in Paris and its surrounding areas, including Seine-Saint-Denis.

Earlier, two suspects were taken into custody, one of whom was reportedly attempting to flee to Algeria from Charles de Gaulle Airport.

The initial suspects have been formally charged with organized theft and criminal conspiracy.

Following 96 hours of interrogation, they have “partially admitted” to their involvement, Beccuau said.

The first suspect, aged 34, is of Algerian descent and has a history of traffic-related offenses.

He was identified through DNA evidence collected from one of the scooters used during the heist.

The second suspect, a 39-year-old illegal taxi and delivery driver from Aubervilliers, had previous charges for aggravated theft, with his DNA found on broken glass from a display case.

Details about the five new suspects have not yet been disclosed by police.

The heist has drawn significant global attention and raised serious concerns about security measures at France’s most popular museum.

Laurence des Cars, the Louvre’s director, acknowledged in a Senate hearing that there were no security cameras monitoring the second-floor balcony where the thieves gained entry into the Apollo Gallery using an angle grinder on Oct. 19.