French authorities have apprehended five more individuals linked to the audacious daytime theft of the French crown jewels from the Louvre Museum, as announced by investigators on Thursday. Despite these arrests, the invaluable treasures remain unaccounted for.
Authorities conducted the arrests through various operations in Paris and surrounding regions, including Seine-Saint-Denis, according to statements from prosecutor Laure Beccuau to RTL radio. The identities of those detained have not been disclosed.
Among the newly detained suspects is an individual believed to be part of the quartet that executed the October 19 heist at the Louvre’s Apollo Gallery. The thieves made off with jewels worth an estimated 88 million euros ($102 million) in a swift operation lasting less than eight minutes.
“Searches conducted last night and into the early hours did not lead to the recovery of the stolen items,” Beccuau reported.
Meanwhile, visitors continued to explore the Louvre Museum’s courtyard despite the rain on Monday, October 27, 2025, in Paris. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)
Earlier, two additional suspects were detained on Sunday and subsequently charged on Wednesday with criminal conspiracy and theft by an organized gang. Beccuau noted that these individuals have partially admitted to their roles in the heist.
One suspect, a 34-year-old Algerian national living in France since 2010, was arrested at Charles de Gaulle Airport attempting to flee to Algeria on a one-way ticket. He lived in the northern Paris suburb of Aubervilliers and was previously known to police for traffic violations. His DNA was recovered from a scooter used in the getaway.
Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau speaks during a news conference at the Paris courthouse Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2025, on the judicial investigation into the robbery at the Louvre Museum in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Emma Da Silva)
The second suspect, 39, was arrested at his home in Aubervilliers. He was known to police for multiple prior thefts. Investigators matched his DNA to a glass display case that held the stolen jewels, as well as to items the thieves left behind, the prosecutor added.
The thieves used a basket lift to scale the museum’s exterior, forced open a window, and used cutting tools to open display cases in the Apollo Gallery. They escaped with eight historic pieces, including:
– A sapphire diadem, necklace, and earring set linked to Queens Marie-Amélie and Hortense
– An emerald necklace and earrings belonging to Empress Marie-Louise, Napoleon’s second wife
– A reliquary brooch
– Empress Eugénie’s diamond diadem and elaborate corsage-bow brooch
Eugénie’s emerald-encrusted crown – set with over 1,300 diamonds – was later found damaged but recoverable outside the museum.
Louvre Director Laurence des Cars acknowledged a “terrible failure” in museum security. However, Beccuau said there is no evidence the theft was an inside job.
A police car parks in the courtyard of the Louvre Museum, one week after the robbery, Sunday, Oct. 26, 2025 in Paris. (AP Photo/Thomas Padilla)
In a direct appeal to those holding the missing jewels, Beccuau on Wednesday night warned they are “unsellable” due to their historical significance and urged their return.
“Anyone who buys them would be guilty of concealment of stolen goods,” she said. “There’s still time to give them back.”
