From Daring to Disastrous: Inside the Louvre’s Clumsy €88m Jewel Heist

How a Hollywood-style raid became a catalogue of blunders

What began as an audacious daylight raid on the Louvre's Galerie d'Apollon has rapidly unraveled into an amateurish smash-and-grab. In just seven minutes, a four-person gang seized French Crown Jewels worth about €88m (£76m) and fled on scooters after breaking into the gallery using a truck with an extendable ladder, angle grinders and smashed vitrines.

The early glamour evaporated as investigators uncovered telltale signs of haste and incompetence: a discarded glove, the dropped crown of Empress Eugénie and the thieves' truck — which they tried to set alight before abandoning. Officials say all four suspects live in Seine-Saint-Denis, north of Paris.

Arrests, charges and DNA evidence

Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau described the group as local, small-time criminals rather than members of an organised crime ring. Two suspects — a 37-year-old man and his 38-year-old partner from La Courneuve — were charged and remanded in custody; both deny involvement. The man has an extensive record with 11 prior convictions, mostly for theft. Two other suspects — a 34-year-old Algerian national and a 39-year-old unlicensed taxi driver from Aubervilliers — were charged earlier after partially admitting involvement. One was detained at Charles de Gaulle airport while attempting to board a flight to Algeria; police say the two had likely entered the gallery while the couple waited outside.

Investigators processed more than 150 forensic samples and matched traces of DNA recovered from the scene — on a shattered window, the mechanical basket lift and a getaway scooter — to national databases. Beccuau said significant DNA linked the male suspect to the lift and that traces connected to his partner may have been transferred during the raid.

What was stolen — and what remains

The burglars left behind the most valuable item: a diamond-and-emerald crown that once belonged to Empress Eugénie, wife of Napoleon III. They did, however, escape with eight other pieces, including an emerald-and-diamond necklace given to Empress Marie-Louise by Napoleon I and a diadem set with nearly 2,000 diamonds. None of the stolen jewels have yet been recovered.

Security failures and a wider debate

The theft exposed gaps in museum security. Louvre director Laurence des Cars acknowledged that cameras did not adequately cover the entry point used by the thieves and said a multimillion-euro modernisation plan is under way. A Senate inquiry criticised both the Louvre and the Ministry of Culture: Paris police chief Patrice Faure called the museum's failure to request CCTV upgrades an 'administrative breach', noting many cameras remain analogue, and the inquiry found that 278 French museums lack CCTV entirely. Culture minister Rachida Dati called the incident a 'humiliation for our national heritage' and ordered an urgent nationwide review.

Chris Marinello, head of Art Recovery International: 'They surely were not Ocean's Eleven. They left a crown, tools and DNA behind.'

Experts warned that jewellery is particularly easy to disperse: it can be cut, melted or broken into smaller pieces and sold on black markets, complicating recovery even after arrests. Interior minister Laurent Nunez said at least one suspect remains at large and suggested there may be organisers who never entered the museum.

Forensics — the quick win for investigators

Despite security lapses, France's forensic capability proved decisive. Investigators cross-referenced more than 150 samples with the National Automated Genetic Fingerprint File, which contains over 4.4 million profiles and can be checked against other European and US databases. Forensic officials stressed that rapid DNA matching was central to identifying and arresting suspects within days.

Context and consequences

Many Parisians drew comparisons to the 2016 robbery of Kim Kardashian West in Paris, another case in which small-time offenders exploited weak security. The Louvre heist has heightened concerns that museums and luxury retailers are becoming soft targets: within 24 hours other thefts were reported across France, from a provincial museum to a Swarovski shop in central Paris.

Prosecutors have offered leniency to anyone who helps recover the jewels, but they acknowledge the items may already have been altered or moved abroad. Meanwhile, authorities continue to search for any organisers and for the missing treasures.

Key facts

• Location: Galerie d'Apollon, the Louvre
• Time: About seven minutes
• Value: Approximately €88m (£76m)
• Suspects: Four arrested from Seine-Saint-Denis; at least one person still sought
• Evidence: 150+ forensic samples, DNA matches to national database