Robbery of the Louvre: One suspect detained at Paris airport, three others still being sought

Robbery of the Louvre: One suspect detained at Paris airport, three others still being sought

At Paris’s Roissy—Charles de Gaulle airport, one of the suspects in the Louvre robbery case has been detained, according to Franceinfo. In total, four individuals are wanted in connection with the crime.

One of the Louvre’s security staff members provided confidential information about the museum’s security system prior to the crime. The investigation has «digital evidence» of this fact. This was reported by the British publication The Telegraph, citing a source in the investigative authorities.

As a result, the criminals were informed about vulnerabilities in the security system of one of the most visited museums in the world. For instance, the robbers accessed the museum’s balcony using a vehicle-mounted lift, targeting a blind spot in the external surveillance cameras around the Louvre’s perimeter.

There is still no official confirmation of communication between the security staff member and the criminals. A week after the robbery, no officially announced suspects or detainees had emerged in the case. Earlier, the Paris prosecutor’s office, which is leading the investigation, mentioned the possible involvement of a museum employee in the robbery.

French authorities, nearly a week after the incident at the Louvre, decided to hide part of the museum’s jewelry collection in an underground vault at the national bank, located 26 meters below ground.

According to French media, both the «Crown Jewels,» which were in the robbed hall of the «Apollo Gallery,» and other valuables stored in various parts of the museum were relocated. This marks an unprecedented case. The transportation was carried out early in the morning under the strictest secrecy, guarded by a police motorcycle unit.

In the massive underground «safe» of the Bank of France, located a few hundred meters from the Louvre, 90% of the country’s gold reserves are stored. Additionally, a unique collection of Leonardo da Vinci’s notebooks, valued at 600 million euros, is kept there.

The management of the Louvre and the Bank of France declined to comment on the information regarding the relocation of the royal jewels or to explain the reasons for such measures.

The director of the Louvre proposed to the Ministry of the Interior the creation of a police station directly on the museum’s premises to enhance security.

The investigation into the case has not yet yielded significant results, and discussions about the situation in France have shifted to the political sphere, becoming a subject of contention between rival parties. The incident itself is seen as a tragedy for the country’s reputation.