Paris Rs 895 Crore Jewelry Heist: Police Arrest Suspects as Investigation Begins

New Delhi: Police have arrested two suspects in the theft of precious Jewellery and diamonds from the world-famous Louvre Museum in Paris. Both the accused are said to be residents of the Seine-Saint-Denis area, which is considered one of the most backward regions of France. According to authorities, a suspect was captured at Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport around 10 pm (2000 GMT) on Saturday as he was about to board a flight to Algeria. The second accused was arrested shortly afterwards in an area of ​​Paris.

What were the identities and backgrounds of both?

According to local media reports, one of the accused is a French citizen, while the other has both French and Algerian citizenship. The age of both is said to be around 30 years. According to sources, the French police were already suspicious of the two and had been keeping them under surveillance since the theft incident.

How was this big theft carried out?

This sensational theft took place on October 19 in the Louvre Museum. It is being told that the thieves broke the upper window with the help of a crane at the time of opening of the museum and entered the Gallery d'Apollo. In just seven minutes the thieves stole eight pieces of precious jewellery worth approximately $102 million and then fled on motorbikes. After this incident, a large-scale search operation was conducted across France.

What was revealed in CCTV and video?

In a video that surfaced a few days after the incident, a thief was seen cutting a glass display case while passing by visitors. In another clip, two robbers wearing construction gear were seen escaping using a hydraulic lift after the theft. These scenes from the video gave a new direction to the police investigation and helped in identifying the suspects.

Is this France's biggest art theft?

This theft from the Louvre Museum is considered to be the biggest art and jewel theft in France in recent years. Investigating agencies believe that this is the work of an organized crime gang, which has been involved in luxury jewellery and art theft in the past also. French police are now investigating whether the stolen jewellery has been sent out of the country or is still hidden in France.