Overview
- French authorities detained two men in their 30s linked to the Oct. 19 raid, including one intercepted at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport while attempting to fly to Algeria, with French media reporting the second was preparing to travel to Mali.
- Investigators tied the suspects to the scene using DNA recovered from abandoned items such as a helmet and high-visibility vest, supplemented by CCTV and phone analysis across roughly 150 forensic samples.
- About 100 investigators from the Brigade for the Repression of Banditry are leading the case, and the suspects can be held up to 96 hours before prosecutors decide on charges under French procedure.
- The eight Napoleonic-era pieces valued at about €88 million remain missing, with one damaged crown found near the museum and experts warning the jewels could be dismantled or melted.
- Under intensifying security scrutiny, the Louvre director acknowledged a mis-aimed camera near the entry point, and remaining high-value jewels were moved to Banque de France vaults; the stolen items are uninsured state patrimony.