Arrests Made in Louvre Jewel Heist

This emerald necklace and earring suite belonged to Marie-Louise, Duchess of Parma, and was one of the eight pieces of jewelry stolen in last week’s heist at the Louvre Museum. Suspects involved in the heist were arrested Saturday; investigators are still looking for the stolen jewels. (© RMN - Grand Palais (Musée du Louvre), Jean-Gilles Berizzi)

Paris—More than one person suspected of participating in the brazen jewel heist at the Louvre Museum on Oct. 19 has been arrested.  

In a short statement released through her office on Sunday, Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau said the arrests were made Saturday evening. 

Though the prosecutor’s office did not specify how many individuals have been taken into custody, it did share that one of the individuals detained was arrested at Paris’ Charles de Gaulle airport as he was trying to flee the country.  

The prosecutor’s office declined to provide any more details, stating that it could interfere with efforts to recover the stolen jewels and find the other individuals involved. 

It said it will provide an update once the suspects’ allowed period of custody ends.

Under French law, suspects who are part of organized crime investigations can be held for questioning for up to 96 hours without being charged with a crime.

For the Louvre heist suspects, this means they could be held and questioned until Wednesday without charges being filed. 

The Louvre heist happened around 9:30 a.m. on Oct. 19.

Using a truck with a hydraulic lift normally used to move furniture, two of the four thieves hoisted themselves to the second floor and cut through a window to enter the Apollo Gallery, which houses the Royal Collection of Gems and the Crown Diamonds.

Once inside, they snatched eight priceless jewels from two display cases, including an emerald necklace and emerald earrings worn by Napoleon Bonaparte’s second wife, Marie-Louise, and left one behind on their way out—a gold, diamond, and emerald crown that belonged to Empress Eugénie.

The statement from the Paris prosecutor’s office did not specify which individuals were arrested—the ones who entered the museum and stole the jewels, or the ones who stood guard at the truck.

Last week, Interpol added the jewels, worth more than $100 million (not counting their historical value), to its Stolen Works of Art database, which is shared internationally and contains pictures and descriptions of some 57,000 items from around the world.