Two thieves from Seine-Saint-Denis, suspected of the robbery against the museum, are in handcuffs. An organized criminal network is being investigated
Two men have been arrested and placed in precautionary custody for the theft of jewels which occurred on 18 October in the Louvre museum in Paris. As reported by Le Parisienone of the suspects was stopped at Charles-de-Gaulle airport while trying to board a flight to Algeria; the other, however, would have been arrested shortly afterwards, while trying to reach Mali. Both originally from Seine-Saint-Denis, they are now under investigation for aggravated theft and criminal conspiracy. Investigators are trying to ascertain whether the two acted alone or on commission.
Theft at the Louvre, The dynamics of the robbery
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According to reconstructions, on the night of October 18th a commando composed of four men reached the Louvre on board a truckwearing gods yellow vests and motorcycle helmets to blend in with the technical staff. After forcing a window of the Galerie d’Apollon, the thieves managed to enter the museum and, within seven minutes, to open the cases with industrial cutters. The loot included valuables of inestimable historical value, including the crown of Empress Eugenie, wife of Napoleon III, later lost during the escape.
how the arrest came about
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Some objects abandoned by the thieves during their escape were found to be crucial to the investigation. A motorcycle helmet, a blowtorch, a yellow vest, a walkie-talkie, a blanket and a can of petrol. Investigators believe that the initial plan was to set fire to the freight elevator used to enter, in an attempt to erase all traces, but without success. On site, forensics carried out approx 150 DNA samples and, according to a source cited by The Messengerit would have been precisely these genetic findings that allowed us to trace the identity of the suspects. The museum, which was closed for three days, then reopened to the public after safety checks.
historical value of the Loot
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The heist was carried out in record time and earned the thieves a loot estimated at 88 million euros. The most serious damage, however, is of a cultural nature: “An extremely spectacular sum, but nothing comparable to the historical damage“, explained the Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau. “It would have been a bad idea to melt the jewels”, commented the magistrate. The investigators do not rule out the presence of a fifth manperhaps linked to the museum’s internal staff, who may have provided crucial information to the success of the sensational coup.
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