The television channel “B.F.M” stated on Wednesday evening that an additional person had been arrested in the French capital, believed to have been present at the scene of the crime on October 19, the day of the theft, which they described as “the boldest in the museum’s history.”
The Paris Public Prosecutor stated yesterday that two men arrested a few days ago “partially confessed” to their involvement in the operation, while police continue to search for four thieves who used a truck equipped with a mobile elevator and metal cutting tools to break into an exhibition on the first floor of the museum, then fled carrying eight unique pieces of jewelry.
The stolen items include an emerald and diamond necklace given by Napoleon I to his wife Empress Marie Louise, in addition to a tiara studded with about 2000 diamonds that belonged to Empress Eugenie.
Jean Nunez, an official in the French Ministry of Culture, described the stolen jewelry as “priceless and representing a rare heritage value that is difficult to compensate for,” and confirmed that investigations are underway in full swing and in coordination with anti-smuggling units of works of art.
In the same context, the French police confirmed that they had previously thwarted other attempts to steal works of art from the museum, including attempts to smuggle paintings and smash bulletproof display cases, but they failed before the thieves could get out of the building.
In recent years, the Louvre Museum has faced increasing challenges due to the large increase in the number of visitors, which reached about 8.7 million visitors by 2024, which has sparked complaints from its employees due to work pressure and the difficulty of balancing security and public service.
