(MENAFN- Live Mint) Amid ongoing investigations into the $102-million heist at the Louvre, the world's renowned and most-visited art museum, a motocross legend and bodybuilder Abdoulaye N has been named among suspects.

On October 19, in broad daylight, a four-member gang raided the Louvre and made off with some of France's crown jewels worth an estimated $102 million.

Abdoulaye N was arrested from his home in Aubervilliers, which is located in the suburbs of Paris, six days after the robbery.

How did the robbery take place?

The robbers stole the jewels within a span of seven minutes before fleeing the spot. They parked a truck with a ladder below the museum's Apollo Gallery. Later, they broke the window and used angle grinders to cut into the glass display to steal the jewels.

How many suspects held?

As part of the investigation, four suspects are in custody. Three of them are believed to be members of the team, says AP report. However, the identities of others have not been disclosed.

Who is Abdoulaye N

- Abdoulaye N (39) is also known as 'Doudou Cross Bitume' and is a well–known figure in urban motocross circles.

- According to Daily Mail, he is also known as the 'Motocross Legend' and became famous for his stunts and long rides.

- He rose to prominence through YouTube and Dailymotion videos and has now made a presence on TikTok.

- He faces preliminary charges of theft by an organized gang and criminal conspiracy.

- The suspect is believed to be one of the two thieves who broke into the Apollo Gallery with power tools. His DNA was reportedly found on one of the cases and on items they left behind, reported AP.

Did Abdoulaye N admit to committing a crime?

The man gave investigators 'minimalist' statements and 'partially admitted' his involvement in the Louvre heist, Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau said.

Involved in another case

As part of a separate theft investigation, Abdoulaye N was detained in 2019, which later cleared him. On Wednesday, he was scheduled to stand trial on minor charges of breaking a mirror and damaging the door of the prison cell after being detained.

In 2015, he was convicted of a theft in Paris as another 37-year-old, who was arrested last week also in connection with the Louvre heist.

'Deafening wake-up call'

Pierre Moscovici, the head of France's highest audit institution, said that the Louvre heist was a 'deafening wake-up call' for museum securit.

He said that upgrades to security at the museum have been moving at a woefully inadequate pace.

In its report, the Court of Auditors said that the museum has prioritised 'high-profile and attractive operations' at the expense of security.

It also highlighted a persistent delay in the deployment of security equipment for the protection of the artworks which the museum 'failed' to address during the period under review.

What was stolen from the museum?

The thieves took away jewellery including an emerald-and-diamond necklace that Napoleon I gave his second wife. However, they dropped a diamond- and emerald-studded crown that once belonged to Empress Eugenie, the wife of Napoleon III.

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