OAN Staff Brooke Mallory
6:03 PM – Wednesday, October 29, 2025
Two men have partially admitted their involvement in the audacious robbery of the Louvre Museum’s French Crown Jewels, prosecutors confirmed on Tuesday, though authorities have yet to locate the missing treasures.
The heist, which occurred on October 19th, saw hooded thieves break into one of the world’s most famous museums and make off with eight priceless pieces from the French royal collection, valued at approximately €88 million ($102 million).
The theft, executed in just under eight minutes, involved scaling a balcony, smashing glass display cases with power tools, and fleeing the scene in a stolen lift truck.
The two unnamed suspects, aged 34 and 39, were arrested in the days following the heist. The 34-year-old, an Algerian national residing in France since 2010, was apprehended at an airport while attempting to board a flight to Algeria. The 39-year-old, previously under judicial supervision for theft, was linked to the crime scene through DNA evidence found on a broken display case.
Prosecutor Laure Beccuau stated that both men now face preliminary charges of theft committed by an organized gang and criminal conspiracy. While their partial admissions mark a breakthrough, the stolen jewels remain unrecovered.
Investigators also believe at least two accomplices remain at large, and forensic evidence, including DNA and CCTV footage, is being analyzed to track the suspects’ movements. Security footage from that day depicted four men “fleeing southeast on Highway A6 toward Lyon.”
Meanwhile, authorities have announced to the public that the stolen Crown Jewels are virtually unsellable in their current form, given their historical significance and notoriety — though other experts say the treasures could have been dismantled or recut — erasing their identifiable features.
The robbery has since exposed serious security lapses at the Louvre.
Investigations revealed that parts of the Louvre’s surveillance system were outdated, with some sections still using analog technology. The museum’s authorization to operate external security cameras had also expired in July, months before the theft. A major security upgrade, estimated at around €80 million ($93 million), is planned but will not be completed until 2029 or 2030.
Authorities continue to pursue leads, with investigators focusing on recovering the missing jewels intact and apprehending the remaining suspects.
Additionally, the Louvre faces intense pressure to modernize its security infrastructure in order to prevent another daring theft. No senior official has been publicly fired in the wake of the heist. However, the museum’s director, Laurence des Cars, offered her resignation following the incident — an offer that was declined by the Rachida Dati, France’s Culture Minister.
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