French authorities announced Sunday that multiple suspects have been arrested in connection with the daring theft of crown jewels worth more than $100 million from the Louvre Museum in Paris.
The arrests come just a week after thieves executed one of the most brazen heists in modern French history, raising questions about the security of the world’s most visited museum.
Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau confirmed that arrests were made on Saturday evening, including one suspect who was detained at Charles de Gaulle airport as he attempted to leave the country.
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She declined to provide exact numbers or confirm whether the priceless jewels had been recovered. French outlets BFM TV and Le Parisien reported that at least two individuals were taken into custody.
The theft, which occurred on October 19, shocked both France and the international art world.
In less than eight minutes, a skilled crew scaled the façade of the Louvre using a basket lift, forced open a window, smashed display cases, and escaped with jewels tied to European royalty.
The stolen items, estimated at 88 million euros ($102 million), included a sapphire diadem, a necklace, and an earring linked to 19th-century queens Marie-Amélie and Hortense, as well as an emerald necklace and earrings tied to Empress Marie-Louise, Napoleon Bonaparte’s second wife.
Also missing were Empress Eugénie’s diamond diadem and her diamond-and-emerald corsage bow brooch.
One of the most famous pieces—Eugénie’s emerald-set imperial crown containing more than 1,300 diamonds—was later found abandoned near the museum, damaged but recoverable.
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Still, the disappearance of the remaining jewels represents an enormous cultural and historical loss.
Louvre director Laurence des Cars admitted the robbery reflected a “terrible failure” in security, with investigators later revealing that at least one surveillance camera was pointed away from a critical balcony.
French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez nevertheless praised investigators for their quick progress, saying he had “full confidence” in the more than 100 officers assigned to the case.
Authorities have not ruled out the possibility of an inside job or the involvement of a private collector who may have commissioned the theft.
Beccuau emphasized that leaks of investigative details could hinder recovery efforts, noting that specialists in armed robberies, art theft, and major burglaries are pursuing all leads.
As police continue their search for additional suspects and the missing artifacts, France is reckoning with how one of its most iconic institutions suffered such a spectacular breach.
For now, the world waits to see whether these jewels of royal heritage can be returned to their rightful place in the Louvre’s galleries.
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