Investigators reveal details of Louvre jewelry heist

(MENAFN) French authorities have revealed new details about the October jewelry theft at the Louvre Museum, describing it as a highly organized operation with stolen items now valued at around €88 million ($103 million), according to reports.

Investigators say the burglary, which took place on October 19, involved a coordinated group employing multiple vehicles, precise timing, and planned escape routes. Surveillance footage shows two suspects, identified as XH1 and XH2, breaking into the Apollo Gallery at 9:34 am (0834 GMT) using a grinder, collecting historic jewels, and leaving within four minutes.

The stolen collection included eight pieces featuring 8,482 diamonds, 35 emeralds, 34 sapphires, and 212 pearls, according to news outlet, citing investigators.

Authorities traced the operation back to Aubervilliers, north of Paris, where scooters and utility vehicles departed in stages toward the museum. A cherry picker truck was used to reach the gallery window and later abandoned nearby. The suspects reportedly fled on scooters, while a white utility vehicle believed to have transported the jewels remains missing.

DNA evidence and extensive CCTV analysis led police to identify four suspects. Abdoulaye N., 39, known as XH1, was arrested on October 25 in Aubervilliers and admitted to entering the gallery.

Ayed G., XH2, was detained at Charles de Gaulle Airport the same day while attempting to leave for Algeria. DNA connected a third suspect, Slimane K., to the cherry picker, and a fourth, Rachid H., was arrested in western France in late November.

All four suspects have been formally charged and are in pretrial detention, with presumption of innocence maintained. The stolen jewels remain missing, and investigators have not confirmed whether they have been dismantled, sold, or kept intact.

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