Two men suspected of stealing crown jewels worth an estimated €88 million (£76 million) from the Louvre Museum in Paris have “partially admitted” involvement in the audacious heist, according to Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau. Despite the arrests, the jewels remain missing.
Beccuau said on Wednesday that the two suspects, detained on Sunday, will face magistrates to be formally charged with organised theft—carrying a 15-year prison sentence—and criminal conspiracy, punishable by up to 10 years.
“The jewels are not in our possession,” she told reporters, urging the culprits to return them, adding: “There is still time to give them back.”
Authorities say the stolen treasures are “clearly unsellable,” warning that anyone attempting to purchase them would be guilty of handling stolen goods. Beccuau expressed hope the priceless items could still be recovered “for the Louvre and for the nation.”
The meticulously planned heist occurred on 19 October, when a four-man gang arrived at the world’s most visited museum disguised as maintenance workers. They used a stolen removal truck fitted with an extending ladder and lift to access the first-floor Apollo Gallery.
Smashing an unsecured window, the two thieves used disc cutters to open glass display cases, escaping within seven minutes. They dropped one gem-encrusted crown but fled with eight priceless pieces, including an emerald and diamond necklace once gifted by Napoleon I to his wife, Marie Louise, and a diadem adorned with pearls and diamonds once owned by Empress Eugénie.
Beccuau revealed that the two arrested men are believed to be those who entered the gallery. One, a 34-year-old Algerian national living in France since 2010, has prior traffic violations. The other, aged 39 and from Aubervilliers, has previous burglary convictions. DNA evidence linked them to a display case and a scooter used in the getaway.
Both were arrested last Saturday, one at Charles de Gaulle Airport as he allegedly attempted to flee to Algeria. Beccuau noted that investigations continue into whether more individuals were involved, though there is currently no sign of inside assistance.
Over 100 investigators from France’s organised crime and cultural goods units are working “day and night” to trace the remaining suspects and recover the jewels. “There is still plenty of evidence to be examined,” Beccuau said.
Meanwhile, questions over the Louvre’s security have intensified. Paris police chief Patrice Faure admitted to “serious shortcomings,” blaming outdated surveillance systems and delays in a planned €80 million security upgrade not expected to finish until decade’s end.
Museum director Laurence des Cars acknowledged that the only external camera near the targeted gallery was facing the wrong direction. In response, several of the Louvre’s most valuable jewels have now been transferred to the Bank of France for safekeeping.
The theft has shocked France, not only for its precision and speed but for the ease with which some of the nation’s most treasured artefacts vanished from its most iconic museum.
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