Developments in the Louvre jewelry heist: Further arrests and partial confessions.

Following the jewelry heist at the Louvre in Paris, a total of seven people have been arrested, some of whom have confessed, but the jewelry itself remains missing. Have the investigators missed a valuable opportunity?

The progress of the investigation so far

French police are continuing their intensive investigation into the spectacular jewelry heist at the Louvre on October 19. A week after the incident, two suspects, a 34-year-old and a 39-year-old man, were arrested. One of the men was about to flee to Algeria, while the other also intended to leave France, apparently planning to escape to Mali. Both have since made partial confessions and are currently in custody.

Police had launched a manhunt for four perpetrators: two of them allegedly used a cherry picker to break into the Gallérie d'Apollon at the Louvre, while two others were suspected of stealing to facilitate their escape on scooters. Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau stated on Wednesday that it could not be ruled out that a significantly larger group, in addition to the four suspected thieves, was involved in the crime. There might even be a "higher level" of masterminds.

Last evening, October 30, police made further arrests. A total of five more suspects were apprehended in the greater Paris area, reported prosecutor Beccuau. Among those arrested is apparently a key suspect, believed to have been part of the burglary team. According to Beccuau, investigators possess DNA evidence linking the man to the jewel theft. The four remaining suspects may be able to provide further information about the crime, the prosecutor explained.

Security gaps at the museum and criticism of the Interior Minister 

The cultural and historical significance of the stolen Napoleonic jewels is immeasurable – the incident has caused a major stir not only in France but internationally. This is also because the theft occurred while the Louvre was open to visitors, requiring their evacuation.

The fact that the robbery was even possible could be attributed not only to highly professional criminals, but also to security deficiencies at the famous Louvre Museum. These deficiencies have reportedly been known for two years and were only investigated after the break-in – not just at the Louvre, but throughout France. Warnings regarding the standards in the Louvre case have been issued repeatedly. 

Some are calling for the resignation of French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez due to these shortcomings. 

According to the Paris Ministry of Culture, the alarm systems on the Apollon Gallery's exterior windows and display cases were functioning. Museum staff, alerted by the alarm, intervened immediately at the time of the jewelry theft. The five employees chased the robbers away, the statement said. As a result, some of the equipment containing evidence was recovered, as the perpetrators had to abandon it. Apparently, the robbers had planned to set the scene on fire.

Furthermore, a valuable crown belonging to Empress Eugénie was saved, as the perpetrators dropped it during their escape – however, the valuable artifact was damaged in the process.

Meanwhile, there is still no trace of the remaining eight jewels, worth more than 88 million euros. However, Laure Beccuau apparently still hopes that the valuable pieces of jewelry can be returned to the nation.

Jewelry was allegedly offered for sale on the darknet; the Louvre did not respond.

Meanwhile, further information has emerged, so far only cited by the American magazine JCK online. JCK online refers to the Israeli news magazine Ynet, which reports that the stolen jewels were offered for sale to the Israeli security firm CGI Group. This information was reportedly passed on to the Louvre's management, but was ignored. 

Tzvika Naveh, CEO of the CGI Group, explained that they had received an encrypted message indicating they were in possession of at least some of the stolen jewels. An alleged representative of the thieves wanted to discuss acquiring the loot, keeping a limited negotiation window of 24 hours open. According to Naveh, the perpetrators wanted to dispose of their loot quickly, as they were on the run. The security firm had passed this information on to its client, who in turn contacted the Louvre.

CEO Naveh criticized the Louvre. He stated that the museum's failure to respond for six days had eroded the security firm's credibility with the criminals, and that the Louvre had missed a real opportunity to recover some of the stolen jewels. Naveh concluded: "Unfortunately, it seems that ego and hesitancy played a role."

Tzvika Naveh also explained that months ago, the Italian newspaper "Il Tempo" had warned of plans to rob the Louvre being discussed on the darknet. The famous Mona Lisa portrait was said to be the target. 

The Louvre, meanwhile, denies having had direct contact with the CGI Group, according to Ynet. The Israeli company, for its part, maintains that the contact occurred through an Italian branch and that an insurance company with ties to the Louvre was involved in the communication.

Sources: tagesschau.de, plattformj.ch, JCK online, ynetnews.com