FRANCE, Paris, Robbery at the Louvre, Oct 19, 2025

[Dotta]

"Louvre transfers jewels to Bank of France after heist.​

The transfer of some precious items from the museum's Apollo gallery,
home to the French crown jewels,
was carried out on Friday under secret police escort,
RTL said, citing unnamed sources.

The Bank of France,
which stores the country's gold reserves in a massive vault 27 meters (88 feet) below ground,
is just 500 meters away from the Louvre,
on the Right Bank of the River Seine."

Louvre transfers jewels to Bank of France after heist, RTL reports

The Louvre has transferred some of its most precious jewels to the Bank of France, according to French radio RTL, after an audacious daylight heist last week exposed the famed museum's security vulnerability.

www.reuters.com

 

[Charlot123]

Definitely inside contacts

Louvre heist was inside job, detectives believe

Detectives investigating the £76m heist at the Louvre have uncovered evidence of an inside job, The Telegraph understands.

www.yahoo.com

In itself, it is unsurprising. Maybe we can use this knowledge when we come across “small-town cases” with the security being suddenly off at the night of the crime? (Not all explanations should be taken for granted, you have to check how frequently it had happened before.)

 

[Charlot123]

My hunch is they either were stolen for an underground collector or they were stolen to hold as ransom. I hold either motive as equally possible.

I do not think the items will be melted down.

jmopinion

BTW, I have read several descriptions of famed art dealers who are either very rich themselves or are laundering someone’s money. Either way, they can afford sitting on the items in their possessions for years.

The linked article is interesting. Diamond analytics Paul Zimnitsky shows that the mining of diamonds has been at its lowest in 2025. (See the diagram inside the article, I don’t know if it is allowed to make a photo of it separately, if yes, please let me know).

Diamond Inventory at Record Low: How Will It Shape 2025? - Israeli Diamond Industry

Paul Zimnisky predicts that global diamond mining output will reach just 105 million carats this year, marking the lowest volume since 1995

en.israelidiamond.co.il

Bottom line is: diamond inventory is at its lowest now.

So I can imagine a “dealer with diversified portfolio” who keeps the stolen items because it is easy to make money out of something different in 2025 and who might plan to move the jewels or the diamonds alone by 2028, for example.

 

[acutename]

don't they know who rented or bought the lift that was used? was that stolen too? there cannot be that many of those IMO.

 

[acutename]

The Louvre admits they really missed the chance to see the thieves approaching. But then praise the evacuation. "She praised security guards who she said acted quickly to evacuate the building as soon as they were aware there had been an intrusion, ..." I am wondering if this wasn't a huge mistake actually. A huge jewel theft, and the museum is actually quickly shooing people out? wouldn't it have been better to hold everyone and search them before they left the property?

if there had been a guard outside on the street, the thieves were vulnerable while coming down and exiting the lift IMO - that would have been a place to stop them.

 

[LadyL]

Just stunning. "We don't insure them because the costs would be astronomical" But apparantly the guards are not armed and were chased away by one man with a saw.

this is the same place that overworks and understaffs so it doesn't surprise me that they do whatever the lowest cost is

 

[LadyL]

if there had been a guard outside on the street, the thieves were vulnerable while coming down and exiting the lift IMO - that would have been a place to stop them.

someone did try to stop them

 

[Hexe]

The collectors who could have ordered the heist could well have the money to buy such items. Eugenia’s tiara with pearls was in the possession of the House of Thurn and Taxis and in 1998 it was sold back to France at an auction.

In 1992, according to the article you provided, so over thirty years ago. By the way Tatler spelled Eugenie's maiden name wrong, it's Montijo, not Montigjo. The point is that the items that got stolen are not for sale anymore and haven't been for decades. Which may be an exact reason for which they were stolen.

 

[Sarahlou]

Two suspects have been arrested over the theft of precious crown jewels from Paris's Louvre museum, French media say.
According to Le Parisien newspaper, the men were originally from the Parisian suburb of Seine-Saint-Denis, and one was preparing to board a flight from Charles de Gaulle Airport.

Two arrested over theft of jewels at Louvre, French media report

Thieves wielding power tools broke into the world's most-visited museum in broad daylight, stealing eight items described as of inestimable value.

www.bbc.com

 

[Dotta]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1982384846879002794

"The men were under surveillance after forensic evidence pointed to them being around the Louvre last Sunday,
said the investigating source.

This is common practice after a heist,
as police hope
suspects will lead them to the stolen goods.

When one of the men was seen at the airport, however,
detectives took the 'emergency decision' to make the arrests.

The men were taken to the high-security headquarters of the Paris judicial police,
where they were being questioned on Sunday.

Referring to a suburb north of the French capital, an investigating source said:
'They are in their 30s, and come from Seine St Denis.

'One was arrested at Charles de Gaulle airport, as he attempted to take a flight to Algeria on Saturday night, at about 10 pm'.

The two men,
already known to the police for burglaries,
have the profile of seasoned burglars who may have being acting to order."

 

[TootsieFootsie]

From the Daily Mail article.


"Five security guards ran away, while police responding to an alarm arrived far too late to see the gang disappearing on two motor scooters"

Two arrested over Louvre 'heist of century' after crown jewels raid

Paris police confirmed on Sunday that they were suspected of breaking into the most visited art gallery in the world a week ago.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[Charlot123]

don't they know who rented or bought the lift that was used? was that stolen too? there cannot be that many of those IMO.

It was stolen, per the German owner of the company making the elevators.

 

[Charlot123]

In 1992, according to the article you provided, so over thirty years ago. By the way Tatler spelled Eugenie's maiden name wrong, it's Montijo, not Montigjo. The point is that the items that got stolen are not for sale anymore and haven't been for decades. Which may be an exact reason for which they were stolen.

I was questioning the idea of “a targeted steal”, some rich collectors pointing at “these ones”.

Collectors are obsessive people, this is true. However, if one traces what is sold on Sothebys or Christie’s annually, there is a lot to choose from. As you have said, these items are not for sale and will never be, but they now tag along a very bad provenance, “stolen from Louvre” or “stolen from the French state”. Any person with enough money to buy such things has one thing to risk. His biggest brand, and it is his own name.

This is why I am not sure whether it was a “pointed at” steal or it was just “a convenience”.

Anyhow, maybe now the state of France would invest more into the safety of the Louvre exposition?

And - good luck catching all the thieves, the art dealer who was “the middleman” and recovering the jewels!

 

[bestill]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1982384846879002794

"The men were under surveillance after forensic evidence pointed to them being around the Louvre last Sunday,
said the investigating source.

This is common practice after a heist,
as police hope
suspects will lead them to the stolen goods.

When one of the men was seen at the airport, however,
detectives took the 'emergency decision' to make the arrests.

The men were taken to the high-security headquarters of the Paris judicial police,
where they were being questioned on Sunday.

Referring to a suburb north of the French capital, an investigating source said:
'They are in their 30s, and come from Seine St Denis.

'One was arrested at Charles de Gaulle airport, as he attempted to take a flight to Algeria on Saturday night, at about 10 pm'.

The two men,
already known to the police for burglaries,
have the profile of seasoned burglars who may have being acting to order."

This is fabulous news! Even more so that the two men have a history. Can't wait to hear more and will be amazing if the jewels are recovered.

So these two men were basically locals - Visit Seine Saint Denis to discover hidden gems of Paris
"A vibrant department located in the Île-de-France region of France. Nestled just northeast of Paris, Seine-Saint-Denis offers a diverse and culturally rich experience for visitors seeking an alternative perspective on the Parisian region. From its fascinating history to its famous arts scene of Paris, there's much to discover in this captivating Destination."

 

[Charlot123]

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-10-22/louvre-museum-heist-how-much-were-french-crown-jewels-worth

It won't be easy to.move them.
Personal condolences to "friends of Louvre" who gathered money to purchase one of the items, Empress Eugenie corsage bow, in 2008.

 

[Charlot123]

This is fabulous news! Even more so that the two men have a history. Can't wait to hear more and will be amazing if the jewels are recovered.

So these two men were basically locals - Visit Seine Saint Denis to discover hidden gems of Paris
"A vibrant department located in the Île-de-France region of France. Nestled just northeast of Paris, Seine-Saint-Denis offers a diverse and culturally rich experience for visitors seeking an alternative perspective on the Parisian region. From its fascinating history to its famous arts scene of Paris, there's much to discover in this captivating Destination."

They were
One boarded the flight to Algeria, the other one, to Mali. No surprise looking at the photos and the video of the heist. However,
I wonder if the news are "very slightly" bending the names. Algeria needs a visa from France, so does Mali. However, a "neighbor" of Algeria does not, and there is a whole googlable list of former French colonies that don't. To escape, It has to be a large country, with some relatives still living in it, i guess.

 

[Skigh]

Pair arrested over Louvre £76million were trying to flee to Africa

The men, who have not been named, were taken into custody a week after the spectacular seven-minute heist at the world's most visited art museum.

www.dailymail.co.uk

Neither Algeria or Mali, which are both former French colonies, have extradition treaties with their former Imperial masters.

Laure Beccuau, the Paris prosecutor who is leading the investigation into the Louvre heist, was furious that news of the two arrests had been made public.

She said: ‘I deeply deplore the hasty disclosure of this information by informed individuals, without consideration for the investigation.

‘This revelation can only harm the investigative efforts of the hundred or so investigators involved in the search for both the stolen jewellery and all the perpetrators[/URL]

 

[Charlot123]

Pair arrested over Louvre £76million were trying to flee to Africa

The men, who have not been named, were taken into custody a week after the spectacular seven-minute heist at the world's most visited art museum.

www.dailymail.co.uk

Neither Algeria or Mali, which are both former French colonies, have extradition treaties with their former Imperial masters.

Laure Beccuau, the Paris prosecutor who is leading the investigation into the Louvre heist, was furious that news of the two arrests had been made public.

She said: ‘I deeply deplore the hasty disclosure of this information by informed individuals, without consideration for the investigation.

‘This revelation can only harm the investigative efforts of the hundred or so investigators involved in the search for both the stolen jewellery and all the perpetrators[/URL]

This is another aspect I was thinking of. The attitude to the former metropolis is different in the colonies as well. Places that still have tighter connections with France might view the stolen articles as “part of their heritage”, too.

The Paris prosecutor should have foreseen that the leaks would be inevitable.

 

[Dotta]

They are known to LE as "seasoned burglars".

Really?

Do experienced burglars leave
"at least 150 DNA samples including fingerprints behind before they fled"??

Hmmm...

Well,
IMO true professionals don't gift Police with crumbs to be followed.

Oh dear...
Too bad!
Arsène Lupin would roll his eyes and shake his head!

Not that I complain mind you
Bravo for French Police!!!
Well done!

Quotes from:

Two arrested over Louvre 'heist of century' after crown jewels raid

Paris police confirmed on Sunday that they were suspected of breaking into the most visited art gallery in the world a week ago.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[Hexe]

They are known to LE as "seasoned burglars".

Really?

Do experienced burglars leave
"at least 150 DNA samples including fingerprints behind before they fled"??

Hmmm...

Well,
IMO true professionals don't gift Police with crumbs to be followed.

Oh dear...
Too bad!
Arsène Lupin would roll his eyes and shake his head!

Arsene Lupin is a character from the book. In real.life even seasoned burglars can panic and make mistakes. And as seasoned as they might have been, that was their first heist done in full daylight in the busiest French museum.