Two individuals have been apprehended in connection with the recent burglary at the Louvre Museum, during which eight of France’s valuable crown jewels were stolen. One of the suspects was captured at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport while trying to board a flight to Algeria, days after the theft where a group escaped with jewelry worth £76 million. Reports indicate that forensic evidence led authorities to surveil the suspects near the Louvre last Sunday.

Following standard procedure after a heist, law enforcement hopes that the suspects will lead them to the stolen items. Detectives decided to make the arrests when one of the suspects was spotted at the airport. The individuals were taken to the Paris judicial police’s high-security headquarters for questioning.

The Louvre went into lockdown shortly after the robbery, when the perpetrators, wearing high-visibility vests, used a mechanical ladder on a truck to access a first-floor balcony. They broke into the Galerie d’Apollon through a window using power tools before fleeing on scooters. Among the stolen items were a brooch with 2348 diamonds and a tiara adorned with 1083 diamonds, previously worn by Napoléon Bonaparte’s relatives.

During their escape, the group dropped an intricate headpiece made for Empress Eugénie, wife of Napoléon III, at the 1855 Universal Exhibition in Paris. The headpiece was significantly damaged and will require extensive restoration work over several months.

President Emmanuel Macron vowed to capture the thieves and recover the stolen items as a widespread search was launched. The arrests follow the discovery of over 150 DNA traces, including fingerprints, left by the burglars at the scene. Forensic teams are analyzing the samples to identify the four culprits swiftly.

Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau expressed optimism about locating the thieves, suggesting that if they have prior convictions, their DNA should already be on record. The trace samples were found on a stolen flatbed truck, as well as on a helmet and glove abandoned at the crime scene. Authorities are eager to arrest the perpetrators promptly to retrieve the jewelry before it is potentially tampered with.

The Louvre, the world’s most visited museum, attracted nearly 9 million visitors in 2024, with 80% being tourists, including many from the UK. Thieves targeting historical artifacts often act on behalf of dealers who struggle to sell on the black market. The museum has experienced significant security breaches in its history, notably in 1911 when the Mona Lisa was stolen and recovered two years later.

In 1998, Le Chemin de Sevres, a 19th-century artwork by Camille Corot, was stolen and remains missing, leading to enhanced security measures at the museum.