French police have arrested two men over the Louvre heist that saw jewels worth $102 million stolen from the museum earlier this month.
Le Parisien reported that the suspects, both in their 30s and from the Seine-Saint-Denis suburb of Paris, were detained on Saturday evening. One was caught at Charles de Gaulle Airport while attempting to board a flight to Algeria.
Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau confirmed the arrests but criticised the leak of information, saying it could hinder the work of investigators. “This revelation can only hinder the investigative efforts of the 100 or so mobilised investigators,” she said.
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Interior Minister Laurent Nunez congratulated police for the breakthrough, a week after the Louvre heist sparked outrage and questions about museum security.
The October 19 robbery saw four masked men smash an upper-floor window with a crane during opening hours and escape on motorbikes with eight royal artefacts, including a tiara and earrings once belonging to French queens.
The stolen items remain missing, though the crown of Empress Eugénie was found damaged near the museum shortly after the Louvre heist.