French police have arrested two men in connection with last week’s $102 million jewel heist at the Louvre Museum in Paris, while a nationwide manhunt continues for two others.
According to the French National Police, one suspect was arrested Saturday night at Charles de Gaulle Airport while trying to board a flight to Algeria. The second suspect was caught while preparing to travel to Mali.
Both men are French nationals from Seine-Saint-Denis, a suburb of Paris. One holds dual citizenship with Mali, and the other with Algeria. Investigators say both have previous burglary records.
Police linked one of the suspects to the crime through DNA evidence found on a helmet left at the scene, leading to weeks of surveillance before the arrests.
The two men are believed to have taken part in the October 19 heist, where thieves stole eight priceless items, including crowns and jewelry once owned by Napoleon and his wife, from the Louvre’s Apollo Gallery.
Investigators say the thieves used a modified freight elevator and an angle grinder to break through a second-floor window and smash display cases in a seven-minute operation.
Authorities are still searching for the missing jewels and investigating whether an insider at the museum helped the thieves.
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez praised police for their “tireless work” and said the probe will continue under the Paris Public Prosecutor’s Office.
President Emmanuel Macron condemned the theft as “an attack on our national heritage,” while Culture Minister Rachida Dati called it “a simple but spectacular operation.”
The two remaining suspects are believed to have escaped Paris on motorbikes shortly after the robbery.
