Two suspects have been arrested in the $100 million Louvre jewel theft, one week after what has been termed as the “heist of the century”, French media outlet Le Parisien reported on Sunday.The stolen items consisted of a sapphire diadem, a necklace, and one earring from a set associated with 19th-century Queens Marie-Amelie and Hortense.What we know so far
Four-member gang suspected
The two individuals, both in their early thirties and from Seine-Saint-Denis, are believed to have participated in a four-person team that forced their way into France’s most renowned museum using a truck fitted with a cherry picker.
Louvre Robbed, Then THIS: France Stunned as Maison des Lumières Museum Looted in Back-to-Back Heists
Police arrested one of the suspects on Saturday night at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport as he attempted to board a flight to Algeria.The second suspect was taken into custody later that same evening, and both are now being interrogated by investigators.
Detectives suspect inside job
Investigators looking into the $100 million Louvre museum heist have uncovered digital evidence suggesting the robbery may have been an inside job. A security guard at the museum is suspected of communicating with the thieves before the daring daylight raid on October 19. According to reports, the guard may have provided crucial details about the museum’s security systems, giving the criminals the information they needed to carry out the high-stakes theft.
The 7-minute heist
Dozens of investigators were assigned to pursue the thieves who pulled off a daring daylight heist at the Louvre on October 19, making off with royal jewels valued at over a $100 million in just seven minutes. The criminals climbed the extendable ladder of a stolen moving truck and used cutting tools to break into a first-floor gallery. While fleeing on scooters, they dropped a diamond- and emerald-studded crown but managed to escape with eight other items, including an emerald-and-diamond necklace gifted by Napoleon Bonaparte to his wife, Empress Marie-Louise.
