2 men, in their 30s, arrested near Paris: Louvre heist

Two of the suspected Louvre robbers, in their 30s, have been detained in France, authorities there said on Oct. 26.

The Oct. 19 museum heist saw precious crown jewels worth an estimated US$102 million (S$132.3 million) stolen in broad daylight within several minutes.

One of the men was arrested at Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport as he was about to leave for Algeria, a source close to the case said.

The second man was detained not long afterwards in the Paris region, media reports added.

The story of the arrests was first broken by Le Parisien.

The source, who also revealed their ages, said both suspects were known to the police for committing thefts, and that they were from Seine-Saint-Denis, a region just outside Paris.

The two men were taken into custody on suspicion of organised theft and criminal conspiracy.

They could be held for up to 96 hours.

Investigators have found DNA samples and fingerprints at the scene from items left behind by the robbers, including gloves, a high-vis vest, a blowtorch and power tools.

Prosecutors slam revelation of arrests

A Paris prosecutor confirmed the arrests occurred on "Saturday evening" following media reports about people being taken into custody.

But the prosecutor deplored the revelation of the arrests as they could "hinder the efforts" of the 100 investigators trying to solve the case.

The fear is that jewellery not recovered are at risk of being broken apart and melted down, or stashed overseas.

The alleged robbers had gone up an extendable ladder of a stolen movers' truck and broke into a gallery that houses royal gems using cutting equipment.

They stole eight pieces, including an emerald-and-diamond necklace that Napoleon Bonaparte gave his wife, the Empress Marie-Louise, but dropped a diamond- and emerald-studded crown as they fled down the ladder and onto scooters.

The crown once belonged to Empress Eugenie, the wife of Napoleon III, which was damaged and needs to be restored.

The Louvre's director has admitted the robbers had exploited a blind spot in the security surveillance of the museum's outside walls.

The heist appeared to have been carried out by an organised crime group, it was reported.

Series of thefts

The brazen Louvre heist was the most recent museum crime in France.

Less than 24 hours after the Louvre break-in, a museum in eastern France reported the theft of gold and silver coins after finding a smashed display case.

In September 2025, criminals broke into Paris's Natural History Museum and stole gold nuggets worth more than US$1.5 million (S$1.95 million).

A Chinese woman has been detained and charged with involvement in the theft.

Top photo via Unsplash