PARIS, November 2, 2025 — French authorities say two of the four suspects accused of carrying out a daring $102 million jewel heist at the Louvre Museum are a couple with children, believed to be small-time criminals rather than members of organized crime groups.
The spectacular theft took place in broad daylight last month, when a four-person gang raided the Apollo Gallery, which houses France’s royal crown jewels, inside the world-famous Paris museum.
According to investigators, the thieves used a truck equipped with an extendable ladder to reach a window of the gallery. They broke in, smashed glass cases with angle grinders, and made off with several priceless jewels — all within seven minutes — before fleeing on scooters.
Two men suspected of being the pair who physically entered the gallery were arrested shortly after the heist and have since been charged and remanded in custody.
On Saturday, prosecutors announced that two more suspects — a 37-year-old man and his 38-year-old partner, both residents of Seine-Saint-Denis, a suburb north of Paris — had also been charged and detained.
Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau confirmed on Sunday that the couple were parents and had a long history of petty crimes, adding that their backgrounds did not match those of “professional art thieves.”
“They appear to be local people, small-time offenders rather than part of an organized criminal network,” Beccuau said in an interview with France Info.
The couple, who have denied any involvement, were arrested after DNA evidence linked them to the basket lift used during the robbery. Investigators found significant traces of the man’s DNA and smaller traces of his partner’s.
The woman broke down in tears during her court appearance, saying she feared for her children’s safety.
The man, who has 11 previous convictions — most of them for theft — has been charged with organized theft and criminal conspiracy, while his partner faces complicity charges.
Authorities revealed that the suspects were already known to police, with two of the men having been convicted together in 2015 for a previous theft case. Three other individuals arrested alongside the couple this week were later released without charge.
So far, the stolen jewels have not been recovered, and police believe they may have been moved through the black market or used for money laundering.
“All avenues are being explored,” Prosecutor Beccuau said. “We are examining all possible channels for selling these jewels, though we hope they have not yet reached the black market.”
Among the missing treasures are eight pieces of historic jewelry, including an emerald-and-diamond necklace that Napoleon I gave to his second wife, Empress Marie-Louise. In their rush to escape, the thieves dropped a diamond- and emerald-studded crown that once belonged to Empress Eugénie, wife of Napoleon III.
Investigators continue to search for at least one more suspect believed to be connected to the crime. The case has drawn comparisons to other high-profile museum thefts across Europe, though authorities stress this heist appears to have been carried out by local criminals, not a professional network.
Security at the Louvre has since been tightened, with museum officials working closely with police to assess how the gang managed to breach multiple layers of protection in such a short time.
