Louvre Heist: Two Arrested; Stolen Jewels Still Missing

The French Ministry of Culture releases a list of eight stolen items, which includes two brooches, two diadems, two necklaces, and two pairs of earrings, with an estimated value of USD 102 million.

Louvre Heist: Two Arrested; Stolen Jewels Still Missing

By Paul V. Young – TheNationWeek.Com | October 28, 2025

PARIS – Two suspects were arrested Tuesday following Sunday’s theft of €88 million worth of crown jewels from the Louvre Museum.

Precious artifacts, however, remain missing.

The brazen daylight heist saw four thieves, wielding power tools, breach the iconic museum, triggering a nationwide security review.

One suspect was apprehended at Charles de Gaulle Airport, allegedly preparing to board a flight to Algeria, while the other was reportedly planning to travel to Mali.

French authorities can hold and question the suspects for up to 96 hours.

While confirming the arrests, the Paris prosecutor’s office expressed concern over the “premature disclosure” of case details, warning it could jeopardize efforts to recover the stolen jewels and apprehend any remaining accomplices.

Investigators reportedly linked one suspect to the crime scene through DNA evidence recovered from discarded gloves and a high-visibility jacket.

In a moment of apparent carelessness, the thieves even dropped a crown once belonging to Empress Eugenie, wife of Napoleon III, during their escape.

The meticulously planned heist unfolded shortly after the museum opened.

The perpetrators reportedly used a vehicle-mounted mechanical lift to access the Galerie d’Apollon (Gallery of Apollo) via a balcony overlooking the Seine.

Two of the thieves then cut through a window with power tools, threatened museum guards, and shattered the glass of two display cases containing the targeted jewels.

The entire operation, from entry to escape on waiting scooters, reportedly took only four minutes.

A preliminary report points to glaring security lapses that facilitated the theft.

French media reports indicate a significant number of rooms in the affected area lacked CCTV coverage.

Furthermore, the museum director admitted that the sole exterior camera near the point of entry was misdirected, while outdated perimeter CCTV prevented staff from detecting the gang in time to intervene.

Among the stolen items are a tiara worn by Empress Eugenie, the Marie-Louise necklace, and a pair of earrings.

Experts fear the jewels may have already been broken down into smaller, untraceable components, significantly hindering recovery efforts.

In response to the theft, security measures have been drastically enhanced at cultural institutions across France.

The Louvre has transferred some of its most valuable jewels to the Bank of France for safekeeping in its heavily fortified vault, located 26 meters underground.

The investigation remains active as authorities race against time to recover the stolen artifacts and bring all those involved to justice.