Overview
- France’s state audit, completed before the theft but released Thursday, warns the Louvre fell far behind on technical protections, with only 39% of rooms covered by CCTV and full upgrades not expected until 2032.
- Confidential 2014 findings cited this week show the video surveillance system used the password “LOUVRE,” a Thales system used “THALES,” and parts of the security network ran on obsolete Windows 2000 workstations.
- Four suspects are in custody over the Oct. 19 raid, and Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau says one, identified as Abdoulaye N, has partially admitted involvement; none of the eight stolen jewels has been recovered.
- Investigators say the four-person crew used a truck-mounted lift to reach a window of the Apollo Gallery, smashed cases with power tools, and escaped on motorbikes in under seven minutes with Napoleonic-era pieces.
- The auditors urge redirecting funds from high-profile projects to protection, casting the president-backed entrance overhaul as financially risky as the culture minister pledges an €80 million boost for surveillance equipment.