Two Suspects Arrested In Daring Louvre Jewel Heist; Prosecutor Decries Leak

PARIS—French authorities have arrested two suspects in connection with the brazen $102 million jewelry heist at the Louvre Museum, with one of the men apprehended just before he was set to fly out of France, according to the Paris prosecutor's office on Sunday.

The two individuals, both in their 30s, were detained on Saturday evening, a week to the day after the high-profile robbery, which exposed significant security flaws at the world's most-visited museum. They reportedly hail from the Seine-Saint-Denis suburb of Paris, an area known to police. One of the men was apprehended at Charles de Gaulle airport as he prepared to board a flight to Algeria, Reuters reported, citing local media.

Interior Minister Laurent Nunez was quick to congratulate investigators via Twitter, a sign of the immense public pressure on authorities to secure results following what many in France regarded as a national humiliation.

While confirming arrests had been made, Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau declined to specify the number of individuals detained or release any further details about them. In a strongly worded statement, Beccuau deplored the leak of information regarding the arrests to the press. "This revelation can only hinder the investigative efforts of the 100 or so mobilised investigators, both in the search for the stolen jewellery and for all the perpetrators. It is too early to provide any specific details," the prosecutor stated.

According to Reuters, there was no immediate indication Sunday that any of the eight stolen pieces had been recovered.

File photo courtesy: Cristina Acosta -Leonen and Angelo Leonen

The audacious October 19 theft saw four hooded thieves make off with precious pieces, including a tiara and an earring belonging to the early 19th-century collections of Queen Marie-Amélie and Queen Hortense. The crown of Empress Eugenie, the wife of Napoleon III, was found damaged and abandoned outside the museum, apparently dropped during the getaway.

The thieves executed the heist in broad daylight, using a crane to smash an upstairs window during the museum's opening hours before escaping the scene on motorbikes.The robbery of treasures from the Louvre—the former royal residence of French kings now home to masterpieces like the Mona Lisa—reverberated globally, prompting a national debate over the protection of France's historic heritage. The museum welcomed $8.7$ million visitors last year.

Cover image: Maan Alcantara-Rivera, TFCN Paris