The theft of crown jewels from the Louvre museum in Paris led to the arrest of two suspects, as confirmed by the Paris prosecutor on Sunday. The arrests were made by investigators on Saturday evening, with one suspect apprehended at Charles de Gaulle Airport while attempting to leave the country. Another suspect was arrested later that evening in the Seine-Saint-Denis suburb north of Paris.
The robbery occurred on October 19 when thieves broke into the museum and stole eight valuable pieces of jewelry valued at around $143 million Cdn before fleeing on motorbikes. The incident exposed security vulnerabilities at the museum as the perpetrators used a crane to break into an upstairs window during opening hours.
The identities of the two suspects, both in their 30s and from the Seine-Saint-Denis area, were revealed by the newspaper Le Parisien. One of the suspects was reportedly planning to travel to Algeria. The news of the heist reverberated globally, sparking introspection in France over the perceived national disgrace.
French authorities were not immediately available for comment on the arrests. The incident has prompted discussions on enhancing security measures at the renowned museum to prevent similar incidents in the future.
