Louvre Heist: Two Suspects Partially Recognize Involvement, Items Worth €88m Still at Large

Two men arrested in connection with the Louvre theft have partially recognized their involvement in the brazen heist, according to officials. The pair, both in their thirties with criminal records, were identified by DNA found during investigations. Items worth €88m (£76m; $102m) were taken from the world's most-visited museum on October 19, when four thieves broke in and stole some of the French crown jewels. Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau said that the jewels had not been recovered yet, and the gang involved could be bigger than the four people caught on CCTV. The two men were arrested, one as he tried to board a one-way flight to Algeria, and the other was not planning to leave France, despite earlier media reports. Beccuau said there was no evidence to suggest the theft was an inside job, confirming no accomplices worked at the museum.

Key Takeaways:

• The two suspects, both in their thirties, have partially recognized their involvement in the Louvre heist.
• The items stolen from the Louvre were worth €88m (£76m; $102m) and include some of the French crown jewels.
• The gang involved in the heist could be bigger than the four people caught on CCTV.
• The two men were arrested, one as he tried to board a flight to Algeria, and the other was not planning to leave France.
• There is no evidence to suggest the theft was an inside job.
• The thieves used a stolen vehicle-mounted mechanical lift to gain access to the Galerie d'Apollon (Gallery of Apollo) via a balcony.
• The men used a disc cutter to crack open display cases housing the jewellery.
• The thieves were inside for four minutes before escaping on two scooters switching to cars and heading east.
• Nobody was threatened during the raid, and security measures have been tightened around France's cultural institutions.
• The Louvre has transferred some of its most precious jewels to the Bank of France following the heist.

Statistics:

• €88m: The total value of the items stolen from the Louvre.
• £76m: The total value of the items stolen from the Louvre in British pounds.
• $102m: The total value of the items stolen from the Louvre in US dollars.
• October 19: The date of the Louvre heist.
• 09:30: The time the thieves arrived at the museum on the day of the heist.
• 08:30 GMT: The time the thieves arrived at the museum on the day of the heist in GMT.
• 09:38: The time the thieves escaped from the museum.
• 4 minutes: The time the thieves were inside the museum.
• 26m: The depth below the ground floor of the Bank of France's vault where the stolen jewels will be stored.

Sources:

• BBC - Agencies
• Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Ada Derana