Louvre Heist Suspect Rachid H. Denied Release By Paris Court

(MENAFN- USA Art News) An individual identified as Rachid H., 40, an alleged participant in the October 2025 Louvre heist that saw crown jewels valued at approximately $100 million stolen, has been denied release from pre-trial detention. The Paris Court of Appeal issued its ruling on Wednesday, according to Le Figaro. Rachid H. has been held since November 2025.

The robbery occurred on the morning of Sunday, October 19, 2025, when a four-person team reportedly used a truck-mounted motorized ladder to breach the Louvre's Apollo Gallery through a second-floor window. Once inside, the perpetrators broke two display cases and took eight pieces of jewelry, including dropping a crown once owned by Empress Eugénie in their haste. Alarms activated as the thieves fled, escaping on two motorized scooters. The entire operation reportedly concluded in roughly seven minutes. The stolen jewels have not yet been recovered.

Police apprehended the first two suspects within a month of the heist: Abdoulaye N., 40, an unlicensed taxi driver with prior robbery convictions and known online for motocross stunts, and Ghelamallah A., 36, an unemployed Algerian national. Both men admitted involvement, though their testimonies, given to investigators in June, reportedly raised more questions than answers. They claimed an unnamed sponsor recruited them days before October 19, and that the principal accomplice who issued orders remains at large. They also asserted that individuals arrested after them, including Rachid H., were not involved in the crime, and that the purported mastermind entered the Louvre with the robbers and also remains at large.

Rachid H. was detained on suspicion of providing keys to a parking facility in Aubervilliers. In January, AFP reported he admitted to“passed” the keys to“two people,” but maintained he knew nothing of the robbery. His defense has highlighted that his fingerprints were not found on the truck used in the heist or in the parking lot where the jewels were allegedly handed to an unidentified individual.

Source: ARTnews

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