Two Suspects Arrested Admit Partial Involvement in Louvre Museum Heist

The investigation into the Louvre Museum heist is progressing, although the jewels have yet to be recovered by the police. The two suspects arrested last Saturday on the outskirts of Paris have "partially admitted their involvement in the events to the investigators," announced Laure Beccuau, the Paris prosecutor, ten days after the heist of the century.

The prosecutor announced that following the arrest last Saturday of two of the four criminals involved in the spectacular heist, "significant progress" has been made in the investigation. A hundred investigators are working "day and night" to catch the criminals and recover the stolen jewels.

Beccuau confirmed that DNA was crucial in identifying the two detainees, aged 34 and 39, for their alleged involvement in the Louvre heist on October 19.

The Paris prosecutor's office has requested the judge for liberty and detention to remand the two suspects in custody for their involvement in the spectacular theft of the French Crown Jewels in broad daylight with the museum open to the public.

The first suspect, an Algerian national residing in France since 2010, was arrested last Saturday at Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) as he was about to board a flight to Algeria "without a return ticket to France," the prosecutor specified. At the time of his arrest, he was unemployed and had previous convictions for theft.

The second suspect, a French national, was arrested near his home. There is no indication that he intended to flee abroad, as some media had reported days earlier.

This alleged second thief of the Louvre jewels has a history of aggravated theft and was under judicial supervision for a previous robbery. His DNA was found by forensic police on one of the museum's display cases containing the jewels and on other objects abandoned by the thieves during their escape.

It is suspected that the two detainees were the ones who entered the Apollo Gallery of the Louvre Museum to steal the French Crown Jewels. The thieves wore yellow vests to pose as workers carrying out repairs in the museum. With the help of a freight elevator and a cutting tool, they stole the jewels displayed in two showcases and quickly exited through the window they had entered.

"The jewels are not yet in our possession: I want to keep hope that they will be recovered and returned to the Louvre Museum and the nation," said Beccuau. "These jewels can no longer be sold. Anyone who buys them would be guilty of concealment. There is still time to return them," the prosecutor urged potential buyers of the jewels or the precious stones they contain.

For now, "there is nothing to suggest" that the four criminals involved in the heist "had any inside help from the museum," stated the Paris prosecutor, who declined to provide further details on the case as the investigation is ongoing.

The thieves stole eight jewels from the French Crown, including an emerald necklace of Empress Marie Louise and the sapphire necklace and earrings of Queen Marie Amelie and Queen Hortense.

However, during their escape, the thieves lost the crown of Empress Eugenie de Montijo, a Spanish aristocrat who was the last Empress of France and wife of Napoleon III, outside. This crown has been severely damaged, and its restoration will be "delicate," lamented the prosecutor.

The stolen jewels, whose whereabouts are unknown, have been economically valued by the Louvre Museum's curator at 88 million euros, although their heritage value is incalculable.