Breakthrough after Louvre break-in: Two men arrested

One week after the spectacular jewel room robbery at the Louvre in Paris, two suspects have been arrested. However, there is still no trace of the stolen jewelry. Rumors are rife: Was the jewelry destroyed, melted down, and sold, or did someone hire the thieves for their private collection?

Left: Historical sapphire earrings from Queen Marie-Amélie de Bourbon-Siciles. © Stéphane Maréchalle/Musée du Louvre

First arrests in the Paris jewelry robbery case

Following the spectacular and shocking break-in at the Louvre in Paris, a first breakthrough was made last Saturday. Two suspects who may have been involved in the theft of eight precious Napoleonic jewels from the world's most visited museum were arrested by French police.

One of the two suspects was arrested at Paris's Roissy-Charles de Gaulle Airport, where he apparently intended to flee to Algeria. French prosecutor Laure Beccuau partially confirmed reports from media outlets such as Le Parisien and Paris Match, according to which the man allegedly holds dual French-Algerian citizenship. The man apparently specializes in specific burglaries and is already known to the police. The second suspect is believed to be a French citizen and was on his way to Mali. Police were thus able to successfully prevent the two from fleeing abroad.

DNA traces left at the crime scene

The fact that an arrest could be made so quickly is apparently also due to traces that the two suspected perpetrators are said to have left in the Apollo Gallery, where the jewel robbery took place.

In total, investigators found 150 DNA traces and fingerprints at the crime scene – probably thanks in part to a mistake made by the jewel thieves: According to investigations, the suspects apparently had planned to set fire to the robbery scene, but were unable to carry out their plan in their haste. 

However, a total of four criminals are believed to have been involved in the jewelry robbery. The fact that the police had to act so quickly to prevent two of the suspects from fleeing abroad is said to have been partly due to premature media reports. Public prosecutor Beccuau stated in a statement that the reporting had harmed the investigation. A total of eight pieces of jewelry from the Napoleonic era were stolen, their value estimated at approximately 80 million euros, but the cultural, historical, and sentimental value is, of course, far greater.

Commentary and industry rumors: Was it a contract theft?

According to art experts, in a robbery like the one from the Louvre, the jewelry only reappears in one out of ten cases. The robbery from the Green Vault in Dresden, in which about half of the jewelry was recovered, was also reported.

There are great fears that the jewelry will be destroyed, the precious metal melted down and the gemstones sold. 

The Louvre jewelry heist was also a topic of discussion at Gemworld, which I visited over the weekend. Some industry insiders I met believe that a quirky billionaire may have hired the gang of thieves, and that the precious jewelry will disappear from public view forever in a private collection—Bond villain style.

Perhaps this is a case of wishful thinking, because anyone who values and loves jewelry is much more comfortable with the idea of it being gone but intact than with a banal cash grab that results in the destruction of the precious items. Media coverage also demonstrates how relevant and internationally recognized the topic is. One would hope that professional thieves would consider such consequences in their actions. After all, that would mean that if such a feverish search for the jewelry and the culprits is underway, it should be as difficult as possible to get the risky stolen goods to willing buyers.

Personally, I'd much prefer an obscure puppet master with a logistical plan to "hijack" the jewels. Only time will tell. A shred of hope remains.

Sources: Le Monde, DerStandart.at