All Suspects in Custody After Daring Louvre Heist
French authorities have confirmed that a fourth and final suspect believed to be part of the gang that carried out the audacious jewellery heist at the Louvre Museum is now in custody. The arrest this week of a 39-year-old man means that all members of the organised criminal group are detained, according to the Paris prosecutor.
Details of the Arrest and the Multi-Million Euro Haul
The latest individual to be apprehended, a 39-year-old male with six previous convictions, was handed preliminary charges by prosecutor Laure Beccuau. He faces charges of robbery by an organised gang, which carries a potential 15-year prison sentence, and criminal conspiracy, punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment.
The brazen theft took place on 19 October and saw thieves make off with an estimated 88 million euros (approximately $102 million) worth of historic French crown jewels. This staggering figure does not account for the items' immense and irreplaceable historical value to France.
In a display of startling efficiency, the thieves executed the entire operation in less than eight minutes. Dressed as workers in high-visibility vests, they used angle grinders, a freight lift, and subterfuge to force their way into the world's most-visited museum.
The Heist's Execution and Unrecovered Loot
The robbery is thought to have been carried out by a team of four. Two individuals broke into the museum's ornate Apollo Gallery, while two accomplices waited outside on motorbikes for a swift getaway.
Security footage revealed the intruders using grinders to cut into the jewellery display cases. Their haul included priceless items such as:
- A diamond-and-emerald necklace given by Napoleon to Empress Marie-Louise.
- Jewels connected to 19th-century Queens Marie-Amalie and Hortense.
- A pearl-and-diamond tiara that belonged to Napoleon III's wife, Empress Eugénie.
Despite the arrests, the haul has not been recovered. In a curious twist, the emerald-set imperial crown of Empress Eugénie, which contains more than 1,300 diamonds, was later discovered outside the museum. The incident has sparked intense scrutiny over the security protocols at the Louvre, raising serious questions about the protection of its invaluable collections.
