Paris Police Suspect Two Men's Involvement in €88m Louvre Jewel Heist Amid 'Partially Admitted' Role
In a shocking turn of events, French authorities have taken two men into custody in connection with the daring heist at the world-renowned Louvre museum. The suspects, arrested last Saturday night, are believed to be the masterminds behind the theft, which netted an estimated €88 million (£76 million) worth of priceless jewels.
Prosecutor Laure Beccuau revealed that while the two men had "partially admitted" their role in the heist, it remains unclear whether they will ultimately face charges. The suspects were taken into custody after police matched DNA evidence from a display case and a stolen scooter to the pair. However, authorities caution that more men may have been involved in the crime.
The stunning heist took place on October 19th at around 9:30 am when two individuals posing as maintenance workers smashed an unsecured window to gain access to the Apollo gallery. Within six minutes, they had stolen eight valuable pieces of jewelry, including a crown and emerald-studded necklace once owned by Napoleon I's wife, Marie Louise.
In a statement to journalists, Beccuau acknowledged that the value of the recovered jewels is "clearly unsellable," making them more than just financial losses for the museum. She urged anyone with information on the whereabouts of the remaining stolen pieces to come forward and expressed hope that they would be recovered for the Louvre and the nation.
Despite the arrests, police remain tight-lipped about their chances of recovering the stolen jewels. The investigation is ongoing, with 100 investigators working day and night to track down the thieves and recover the valuable artifacts.
Security experts have also raised concerns about the museum's vulnerabilities following the heist. Police officials acknowledged that outdated security systems and delayed upgrades mean that a technological leap has not been taken in recent years. The €80 million (£70 million) planned security improvement program is unlikely to be completed before the end of the decade.
In the wake of the theft, some precious jewels have already been transferred to the Bank of France, while museum officials are also reviewing their security measures.
In a shocking turn of events, French authorities have taken two men into custody in connection with the daring heist at the world-renowned Louvre museum. The suspects, arrested last Saturday night, are believed to be the masterminds behind the theft, which netted an estimated €88 million (£76 million) worth of priceless jewels.
Prosecutor Laure Beccuau revealed that while the two men had "partially admitted" their role in the heist, it remains unclear whether they will ultimately face charges. The suspects were taken into custody after police matched DNA evidence from a display case and a stolen scooter to the pair. However, authorities caution that more men may have been involved in the crime.
The stunning heist took place on October 19th at around 9:30 am when two individuals posing as maintenance workers smashed an unsecured window to gain access to the Apollo gallery. Within six minutes, they had stolen eight valuable pieces of jewelry, including a crown and emerald-studded necklace once owned by Napoleon I's wife, Marie Louise.
In a statement to journalists, Beccuau acknowledged that the value of the recovered jewels is "clearly unsellable," making them more than just financial losses for the museum. She urged anyone with information on the whereabouts of the remaining stolen pieces to come forward and expressed hope that they would be recovered for the Louvre and the nation.
Despite the arrests, police remain tight-lipped about their chances of recovering the stolen jewels. The investigation is ongoing, with 100 investigators working day and night to track down the thieves and recover the valuable artifacts.
Security experts have also raised concerns about the museum's vulnerabilities following the heist. Police officials acknowledged that outdated security systems and delayed upgrades mean that a technological leap has not been taken in recent years. The €80 million (£70 million) planned security improvement program is unlikely to be completed before the end of the decade.
In the wake of the theft, some precious jewels have already been transferred to the Bank of France, while museum officials are also reviewing their security measures.
. I mean, €88 million is a crazy amount of money and 8 pieces of jewelry aren't gonna get you that kind of cash, you know? The fact that they were able to smash into the museum and make off with so much loot in like 6 minutes says something about how lax security is 
. And now we're hearing that the police are saying more guys might've been involved, but nobody's talking about who actually planned this whole thing out... it's all kinda suspicious 
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. The thought of €88 million worth of priceless jewels being stolen is just mind-blowing 
. I think it's crazy that the suspects were able to get away with it for so long, especially since they posed as maintenance workers to gain access 
. It raises so many questions about how the museum's security systems failed them - I mean, €80 million upgrade planned is a drop in the bucket compared to what was stolen 
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but at the same time there's still so much uncertainty about whether they'll actually get charged or not... seems kinda fishy that more people might've been involved in this whole thing 
and it's not like the museum was even properly secured beforehand... that €80 million security upgrade plan better come through ASAP 
? The fact that two men were caught in connection with the theft but their involvement is 'partially admitted' just raises more questions, you know? Are they really telling us what we want to hear or are they playing both sides?
. Like, when was the last time they upgraded their tech? It feels like they were just waiting for a big heist to happen before taking action 
the police gotta step up their game tho, especially with those outdated security systems 
. Fingers crossed they do manage to recover them, though 
I mean come on who tries to steal €88 million worth of jewels and just thinks they can get away with it? Like, did they really think they were that slick? 
. And now we're hearing rumors of €80 million worth of new security upgrades being planned... like, finally, get it together Louvre! 
so many questions and not enough answers, am i right? i'm also kinda shocked they're still waiting for security systems to get upgraded 
€80m seems like a tiny fraction of the actual cost of all that stolen stuff... and what's the deal with the jewels being more valuable than cash?! it's just so weird 
I'm still trying to wrap my head around this €88 million Louvre heist! I mean, who steals from one of the most secure museums in the world? 
. I'm not surprised, though - museums always seem to get hit by these types of heists. But what really gets me is that they've got outdated security systems and now it's gonna cost €80 million to upgrade? 
And what about the masterminds who planned this whole thing? Are they even caught yet? It's like, one step forward and two steps back for these museums. I mean, I get it, security is a big deal... but can't we just stay one step ahead of the thieves already?! 
. But I'm not buying that they're the only ones involved - there's got to be more people in the loop here 
. I just wish some of that cash could be used to prevent future heists or at least recover the stolen jewels 
. These two guys might've been involved, but I'm sure there's more to this story than what they're letting on. A partially admitted role? That's just suspicious 
. What really went down at that museum? We'll never know if the police don't get their act together. And another thing, €80 million for security improvements? It's not like that's going to make up for the loss of history