Two suspects have been arrested in connection with the theft of French crown jewels from the Louvre on October 19. Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau announced the arrests on Sunday, with one man detained at Charles de Gaulle Airport while preparing to board a flight to Algeria. The heist, captured on a 36-second video, involved two thieves escaping with $102 million worth of Napoleonic jewelry using a furniture lift. Nine artifacts were taken from the Apollo Gallery, but one crown was dropped in the haste. The stolen jewels were not privately insured, meaning France will not be reimbursed if they are not recovered.
The heist has plunged the Louvre and the Macron administration into a publicity crisis, exposing serious security flaws. Museum director Laurence des Cars called the theft a “terrible failure” and submitted her resignation, which Culture Minister Rachida Dati rejected. Staff had previously warned about postponed security upgrades amid a staff shortage, and a leaked audit described the security as “outdated.” The incident raises urgent questions about the protection of national treasures and the accountability of major cultural institutions.