The thieves used a crane to break into the Galerie d’Apollon during museum hours and escaped on motorbikes, sparking a nationwide manhunt.
BY PC Bureau
October 26, 2025 — French police have arrested two suspects in connection with last week’s audacious theft of crown jewels from the Louvre Museum, AFP reported, citing sources close to the investigation.
The first suspect was detained late Saturday around 10 p.m. (2000 GMT) at Paris–Charles de Gaulle Airport as he prepared to board an international flight. The second suspect was arrested soon after in the greater Paris region. Both are currently being questioned by investigators.
The daring heist took place last Sunday at the world’s most visited museum. During opening hours, a group of thieves used a crane to smash an upstairs window, gaining access to the Galerie d’Apollon. They made off with eight priceless pieces of royal jewellery valued at approximately $102 million before escaping on motorbikes, triggering a nationwide manhunt.
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Earlier this week, a newly surfaced video showed two of the robbers—disguised in construction gear—using a hydraulic lift to flee the museum. Another clip, captured by a visitor, appeared to show one of the men cutting through a glass display case as tourists walked by unaware.
The case is being handled by the BRB, the elite Paris police unit specialising in major robberies.
Two men arrested over $100M Louvre Museum jewel heist — as one suspect was busted at airport trying to flee country: report https://t.co/hhScZVxzAK pic.twitter.com/3TODtTMckc
— New York Post (@nypost) October 26, 2025
The Stolen Jewels
The stolen treasures span nearly two centuries of French royal history and belonged to queens and empresses.
Among them were:
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Empress Eugénie’s tiara and crown, crafted by jeweller Alexandre-Gabriel Lemonnier in 1853 after her marriage to Napoleon III. While the tiara was stolen, the crown was later found abandoned near the getaway route.
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A sapphire necklace and earrings set once worn by Queen Marie-Amélie, wife of King Louis-Philippe (1830–1848), and by Queen Hortense, mother of Napoleon III.
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An emerald necklace and earring set, a wedding gift from Napoleon I to his second wife, Empress Marie-Louise, designed by court jeweller François-Regnault Nitot.
Of the eight stolen pieces, seven were acquisitions made by the Louvre in the past 40 years.
France’s Ministry of Culture described the jewels as having “priceless heritage value.”
“They are invaluable in terms of history,” said art historian Didier Rykner. “Their worth can be estimated, but their cultural loss is immeasurable.”
The Louvre attracts more than 30,000 visitors a day and houses over 33,000 artefacts, including ancient sculptures and paintings. It is home to global masterpieces such as Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, the Venus de Milo, and the Winged Victory of Samothrace.
