France: Louvre museum heist muslim thieves caught en route to different africa muslim countries; DNA, hair, dropped crown led police to them

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Authorities had tracked the pair for days, hoping they’d lead them to accomplices and the stolen jewels worth over $100 million; one was arrested at Charles de Gaulle Airport, the other hours later at home in Paris’s Saint-Denis suburb​

According to the reports, the two men, both in their 30s, are residents of Saint-Denis, a Paris suburb known for its poorer and more crime-ridden neighborhoods. Police say both are known to law enforcement from previous burglaries. Earlier Sunday it was revealed that one suspect had been arrested at Charles de Gaulle Airport while attempting to flee to Algeria; later, it emerged that the second suspect was also planning to escape to Africa and was arrested at his home in Saint-Denis hours later as he prepared to fly to Mali.
According to the reports, the two men, both in their 30s, are residents of Saint-Denis, a Paris suburb known for its poorer and more crime-ridden neighborhoods. Police say both are known to law enforcement from previous burglaries. Earlier Sunday it was revealed that one suspect had been arrested at Charles de Gaulle Airport while attempting to flee to Algeria; later, it emerged that the second suspect was also planning to escape to Africa and was arrested at his home in Saint-Denis hours later as he prepared to fly to Mali.
Both suspects are French citizens, though the one who planned to travel to Algeria also holds Algerian nationality. The fact that the two intended to fly to Algeria and Mali, both former French colonies, is significant, since neither country has an extradition treaty with France. That would have made returning them for trial extremely difficult. After their arrest, the two were taken to a secure police headquarters in Paris, where their questioning continues.
Since the robbery last Sunday, investigators have gathered about 150 DNA samples and fingerprints from the scene and surrounding areas. Several match the two suspects. DNA was found, among other places, on a surface inside the vehicle that carried the crane used to enter the museum, and hairs were found inside a helmet worn by one of the robbers.
While many initially praised the careful planning and composure of the Louvre thieves, it now appears that their escape was much less professional. They acted hastily and left behind a trail of evidence. Police found numerous items used in the robbery, including a cutting disc, a blowtorch, gasoline, gloves, a walkie-talkie, a yellow vest, a blanket, and a motorcycle helmet. Among the recovered objects was also the crown of Empress Eugénie, wife of Napoleon III, which the robbers had stolen but dropped during their getaway. “They really messed up. They’re half-professionals,” a source familiar with the investigation told France Info.
Around 100 detectives are taking part in the ongoing effort to track down the rest of the robbers and recover the stolen items, valued at more than 100 million dollars. But not everyone in France was pleased with the day’s developments: the Paris prosecutor leading the investigation expressed anger that news of the arrests had been leaked to the media before being cleared by authorities, saying the publicity could harm the chances of finding the other suspects, who now realize that police are closing in.
The Louvre robbery, one of the boldest in recent years and described by French media as “the robbery of the century,” took place last Sunday around 9:30 in the morning. Four masked men arrived near the museum’s opening time, used a crane to reach the “Apollo Gallery,” which houses the jewels of Napoleon and the empresses, smashed glass cases, and escaped with eight items worth more than 100 million dollars. The robbers spent less than four minutes inside the museum.

crown of Empress Eugénie, wife of Napoleon III, and the necklace of Empress Marie-Louise, wife of Napoleon Bonaparte, both stolen in the Louvre Museum heist in France
(Photo: Louvre Museum)
Video footage released Thursday showed two members of the gang descending from the gallery using the crane: one wearing a yellow vest, apparently to pose as a worker, and the other dressed in black with a motorcycle helmet.

The heist caused deep embarrassment for France. It came after a series of break-ins and thefts in French museums, including one last month at the Natural History Museum, and again raised questions about the authorities’ ability to protect some of the world’s most important cultural sites. The incident also reignited criticism of President Emmanuel Macron’s government and the Louvre’s management, especially since staff at the museum had gone on strike just months ago to protest a shortage of personnel and security measures — a protest that received little attention.
Some in France see the Louvre robbery as a cultural disaster comparable to the 2019 fire that devastated Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. Testifying before the Senate last week, Louvre Director Laurence des Cars admitted that a “terrible failure” had allowed the heist to take place. She said the museum suffers from a severe shortage of security cameras and that the terrace and window used by the robbers were not monitored at all. She offered her resignation, but it was rejected.