Paris’s prosecutor has stated that the recent jewellery heist at the renowned Louvre museum was executed by individuals described as “petty criminals,” rather than highly organized crime professionals. Laure Beccuau, speaking to franceinfo radio, clarified that while the act was not “everyday delinquency,” it did not involve the “upper echelons of organised crime.”
The four suspects apprehended and charged thus far are reportedly “clearly local people” residing in Seine-Saint-Denis, a region north of Paris known for its socioeconomic challenges.
The theft, which occurred on October 19th, saw jewels valued at approximately €88 million (£76 million; $102 million) stolen from the museum, one of the world’s most visited landmarks.
Investigations revealed the suspects entered the museum shortly after opening, using a stolen vehicle equipped with a mechanical lift to access the Gallery of Apollo from a balcony. They reportedly used a disc cutter to breach display cases containing the valuable jewellery. The entire operation lasted only four minutes, with the thieves escaping on scooters before transferring to cars.
While seven of the stolen jewels remain unrecovered, with fears they may have been moved abroad, the prosecutor expressed hope for their eventual retrieval. Security measures at France’s cultural institutions have been reinforced following the incident, and the Louvre has since moved some of its most precious items to the Bank of France for safekeeping.
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