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French authorities have detained two men in connection with the theft of precious jewelry worth €88 million from the Louvre Museum in Paris, two sources close to the case said Sunday, confirming local media reports.
One suspect was apprehended around 10:00 p.m. (2000 GMT) Saturday at Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport as he was about to board an international flight, according to Le Parisien and Paris Match.
The second was arrested shortly afterward in the Paris region, Le Parisien reported.
The theft, one of the most audacious in recent French history, occurred last Sunday when four thieves armed with power tools broke into the world’s most-visited museum in broad daylight.
French Justice Minister Eric Dupond-Moretti admitted that security procedures had “failed,” leaving the country with a “terrible image.” Both suspects are reportedly known to police for previous burglaries.
The gang arrived at the museum around 9:30 a.m. (0630 GMT), shortly after it opened, using a vehicle-mounted mechanical lift to access the Galerie d’Apollon via a balcony overlooking the River Seine.
Two thieves entered by cutting through a window with power tools, then threatened guards, who evacuated the area, and shattered the glass of two display cases containing royal jewels.
A preliminary report revealed that one in three rooms in the raided section of the museum lacked CCTV coverage, French media said.
Police said the thieves were inside for just four minutes before escaping on two scooters waiting outside at 9:38 a.m.
The robbery took place in the Galerie d’Apollon—home to the museum’s royal jewelry collection—and lasted approximately seven minutes.
Among the nine pieces targeted was a crown belonging to Empress Eugenie, wife of Napoleon III, which was later found outside the museum, damaged, apparently dropped during the escape.
A preliminary audit by France’s Court of Auditors found repeated delays in upgrading the Louvre’s security systems, exposing vulnerabilities that contributed to the heist.
In response, officials said security has been reinforced across France’s major cultural institutions.
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