Two suspects have been arrested for stealing valuable crown jewels from the Louvre Museum in Paris, according to French media. One suspect was caught while getting ready to board a flight at Charles de Gaulle Airport. The theft happened last Sunday when four thieves, using power tools, broke into the museum in broad daylight.
The stolen items are valued at about €88 million (roughly $102 million). This brazen crime has left France’s justice minister admitting that security measures “failed,” tarnishing the country’s image.
On Saturday evening, authorities confirmed the arrests, though they did not disclose how many people were detained. Reports indicate that one suspect was heading for Algeria, while the other planned to travel to Mali. Police can interrogate them for up to 96 hours.
The incident struck just after the museum opened at 9:30 AM, around the time guests were arriving. The thieves used a mechanical lift to access the first-floor balcony close to the River Seine. They cut through a window to enter the Galerie d’Apollon, where they threatened guards and broke into display cases to grab the jewels. Eyewitness accounts suggest they were there for only four minutes, escaping on scooters.
A preliminary report from French media revealed that one-third of the rooms in the area targeted by the thieves lacked CCTV cameras. This oversight led to delays in alerting the staff. The museum’s director acknowledged that the only camera monitoring the exterior wall was misaligned, further complicating their ability to stop the theft.
Experts worry that the stolen jewels might be broken down into smaller pieces, making them nearly impossible to trace. Arthur Brand, an art detective, mentioned that metals can be melted and stones can be cut into smaller gems, severely complicating recovery efforts.
In light of this theft, security has been reinforced across France’s cultural sites. The Louvre has moved its most valuable jewels to a secure vault at the Bank of France, located 26 meters underground, to prevent future incidents.
This incident raises questions about museum security and the precautions necessary to protect valuable art. Studies show that art theft has been a persistent issue, with a significant number of art crimes still unresolved. According to the FBI, around 90% of stolen art remains missing. As technology evolves, so must the measures taken to safeguard these irreplaceable treasures.
In the wake of the heist, there’s growing discussion on social media about the importance of improving security in public spaces, reflecting a broader concern for safety in cultural institutions.
Source link
