Two men have been arrested by French authorities in connection with the daring daylight robbery at the Louvre Museum in Paris, where thieves broke in via a balcony and made off with precious crown jewels worth tens of millions of euros, reported the BBC quoting French media. The suspects are from Seine-Saint-Denis and one was stopped while boarding a flight. Police say the case involves organised theft and criminal conspiracy. 

The daring daylight heist at the Louvre

On October 19, a group of masked thieves executed a record-breaking break-in at the Louvre Museum in Paris. The target was the Gallery of Apollo (Galerie d'Apollon), where the French crown jewels are displayed.

The jewellery taken includes pieces linked to France's imperial past, notably jewels worn by Empress Eugénie and Empress Marie-Louise, wife of Napoleon Bonaparte.

The thieves struck at around 9:30 am local time, shortly after the museum opened to the public. They arrived with a vehicle-mounted mechanical lift (a 'cherry picker') and used it to access a first-floor balcony overlooking the River Seine.

Once inside, the gang broke through a reinforced window, cut glass display cases with power tools and grabbed the jewels in under eight minutes. They escaped on two scooters waiting outside. The museum was evacuated and closed for the day while law-enforcement and forensic teams investigated.

The arrests and suspects

French media report that two suspects have now been arrested in connection with the robbery. The men are from the Parisian suburb of Seine-Saint-Denis. One of them was reportedly trying to board a flight at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport. They are now in pre-trial detention, and charges include organised theft and criminal conspiracy.

While four people are believed to have carried out the raid, only two are currently in custody. Investigators continue the manhunt for the remaining gang members.

Valuation & significance of the stolen jewels

Authorities estimate the stolen jewels are worth about €88 million (over US$100 million) but they emphasise that their historical and cultural value far exceeds any price tag. The list of stolen items includes:

• A matching emerald necklace and pair of emerald earrings from the set of Empress Marie-Louise.
• A sapphire diadem, necklace and single earring linked to Queen Marie-Amélie and Queen Hortense.
• A large corsage-bow brooch and the tiara of Empress Eugénie.

Interestingly, the famous 'Regent' diamond (also housed in the Apollo Gallery) was not taken and investigators do not yet know why. 

How the heist was carried out

The break-in was remarkably swift and professional:

• The gang used a mechanical lift from a truck parked beside the museum to reach a first-floor balcony facing the Seine.
• They cut through a reinforced window, then smashed glass display cases using angle grinders and other tools.
• The entire museum stay lasted roughly four minutes inside the building. The whole raid, including entry and escape, took under eight minutes.
• They fled on two scooters waiting outside, using the Seine side and the Boulevard Périphérique to escape.

Staff alarms were triggered and guards responded quickly, yet the thieves managed to escape before full backup arrived.

The security flaws exposed

In the wake of the heist, major questions have been raised about the security at the Louvre:

• Preliminary investigations found that“one in three rooms” in the raided area lacked CCTV cameras.
• The museum's director, Laurence des Cars, told parliament that a key camera pointed in the wrong direction.
• Critics say the security upgrades originally scheduled for the museum had been delayed, leaving vulnerabilities exposed.

The culture ministry defended the alarm systems, stating that the protection apparatus did trigger. But unions and staff dispute how fast responses were and whether protocols were followed.

The heist has been described as“an attack on our heritage” by President Emmanuel Macron, who pledged to recover the stolen treasures and bring the perpetrators to justice.

Voices from the scene

Museum visitors who were inside when the heist occurred described how the gallery was suddenly evacuated. One tourist told Reuters:

“Well, when you rob the Louvre, that's a big deal... we knew something was up because of the way they swept the whole museum.” 

Inside the museum, some staff expressed frustration:

“Today we are experiencing a terrible failure at the Louvre, which I take my share of responsibility in. We did not detect the arrival of the thieves soon enough.”

The Louvre incident has served as a trigger for museums worldwide to audit their vulnerabilities and invest in upgrades.

(With inputs from agencies)

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