At least two suspects have been taken into custody following the daring theft of priceless jewels from the Louvre Museum in France.
On Saturday, Oct. 25, the Paris Banditry Repression Brigade (BRB) and the Central Office for the Fight against Trafficking in Cultural Goods (OCBC) led an investigation into the robbery that occurred on Oct. 19, according to French media outlets Le Parisien and Paris Match.
One suspect was apprehended at Roissy-Charles-de-Gaulle Airport around 10 p.m. local time as they allegedly attempted to board a flight to Algeria. A second suspect was arrested soon after in Paris, the reports said.
Both men, believed to be in their 30s and from Seine-Saint-Denis, are reportedly among four individuals responsible for stealing eight pieces of jewelry from the museum.
The arrests come after reports that the Louvre had transferred some of its most valuable jewels to the Bank of France, per Metro.
According to AFP, the thieves broke into the iconic Paris museum early on Sunday, Oct. 19, and completed their heist in just seven minutes. They made off with eight historic pieces of jewelry linked to France’s monarchy, worth more than $100 million.
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Armed with small chainsaws and angle grinders, the suspects used a service lift to reach their target room, according to investigators.
The stolen items included a sapphire tiara, sapphire necklace, and single sapphire earring once worn by Queen Marie-Amélie and Queen Hortense, along with a brooch known as the “reliquary brooch,” Reuters reported. Also taken were an emerald necklace and earrings worn by Marie-Louise, the second wife of Napoleon, as well as a tiara and large brooch that belonged to Empress Eugénie.
One of the tiaras was later recovered outside the museum, damaged, according to Reuters.
Authorities believe two of the suspects wore yellow vests to pose as workers, while two others arrived on scooters to carry out the theft.
Paris public prosecutor Laure Beccuau emphasized the historical magnitude of the crime.
“It is important to remember that this damage is an economic damage, but it is nothing compared to the historical damage caused by this theft,” Beccuau said, according to Reuters.
