According to a Paris prosecutor, two suspects involved in the Louvre jewel heist have admitted their involvement to some extent and are believed to be the individuals who forcefully entered the renowned museum. Laure Beccuau stated at a press briefing that the pair are facing preliminary charges related to theft by an organized group and criminal conspiracy.
The theft of jewels valued at approximately $143 million Cdn on October 19 shocked the world, as the thieves managed to complete the operation in under eight minutes.
The first suspect, a 34-year-old Algerian national residing in France since 2010, was apprehended at Charles de Gaulle airport on Saturday night while attempting to board a flight to Algeria without a return ticket. He was living in Aubervilliers, a suburb in northern Paris, and was previously known to law enforcement mostly for traffic violations.
The second suspect, aged 39, was also arrested on the same night at his residence in Aubervilliers. Beccuau mentioned that there is no indication he was planning to leave the country. This individual had a history of thefts, and his DNA was discovered on one of the glass cases where the stolen jewels were showcased, as well as on items left behind by the thieves.
Prosecutors were facing a deadline to formally charge, release, or request an extension for the suspects by Wednesday.
Jewels still missing
Beccuau confirmed that the stolen jewels have not yet been recovered and cautioned that their unavailability for sale makes any potential buyer complicit in concealing stolen property.
She emphasized, “It’s still time to give them back.”
Earlier on Wednesday, French authorities acknowledged significant vulnerabilities in the Louvre’s security measures, leading to a national discussion on France’s safeguarding of its cultural treasures.
Paris Police Chief Patrice Faure informed Senate members that outdated systems and delayed upgrades resulted in weak spots within the museum’s security infrastructure.
He stated, “A technological advancement has not been implemented,” highlighting that certain parts of the video network remain analog, producing low-quality images with slow real-time sharing capabilities.
A planned overhaul, requiring around 60 kilometers of new cabling and costing $93 million US, is not expected to be completed before 2029–2030, Faure added.
Police first alerted by cyclist
Faure also revealed that the Louvre’s authorization to operate its security cameras had expired quietly in July and was not renewed, a bureaucratic mishap some view as emblematic of broader negligence following the break-in at the Apollo Gallery.
He remarked that although officers responded promptly, there were delays in the initial detection and subsequent communication within the security chain.
The first alert to law enforcement did not originate from the museum’s alarms but from a passerby, a cyclist, who dialed emergency services upon observing suspicious activity outside.