French police have arrested several suspects connected to the brazen jewelry heist at the Louvre Museum, the Paris prosecutor confirmed, noting that one individual was apprehended while attempting to flee the country.
The Paris prosecutor’s office confirmed the arrests on Sunday, following a week-long manhunt launched after the audacious robbery. Prosecutor Laure Beccuau stated that the suspects were taken into custody Saturday evening. She added that one of the individuals had been attempting to leave France from Roissy airport.
The investigation began after thieves broke into the Louvre’s Galerie d’Apollon last Sunday, making off with several pieces of “priceless” jewelry, including royal jewels from the First and Second French Empires.
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez had previously detailed the thieves’ method, telling France Inter radio that they used a truck equipped with a lift system and an angle grinder to breach a window. After targeting several display cases, they reportedly escaped the scene on motor scooters.
Beccuau told BFM TV that approximately 60 investigators had been mobilized to track down the culprits, emphasizing the authorities’ “total determination” to recover the stolen items.
The incident drew sharp criticism from Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin, who admitted the state had “failed” to protect one of its most famous landmarks.
Speaking on France Inter radio, Darmanin said: “We cannot completely secure all locations, but what is certain is that we have failed, since it is possible to set up a freight elevator in the middle of a Paris street, lift people up in a matter of minutes to steal priceless jewelry, and give France a terrible image.”
“These people will be arrested,” he added.
