Overview
- French authorities detained two men in their 30s from Seine-Saint-Denis on Saturday night, with one intercepted at Paris-Charles de Gaulle as he attempted to board a flight to Algeria.
- Officials said none of the stolen pieces have been recovered, apart from Empress Eugénie’s damaged crown found outside the museum shortly after the raid.
- Investigators cite DNA, fingerprints and hair collected at the scene, plus public and private camera footage, as key to identifying suspects in the organised theft inquiry.
- Police say four thieves used a truck-mounted lift to reach a first-floor window, smashed display cases in minutes and fled on scooters with eight Napoleonic-era jewels worth about $102 million.
- The Louvre has moved remaining high-value items to the Bank of France vault after admitting surveillance blind spots, as political pressure mounts to tighten museum security.