PARIS (AP) – French police have arrested a man believed to be linked to โฃthe audacious โคtheftโฃ of crown jewels from the Louvreโ Museum in โParis, authorities announced โขWednesday. The โขarrest marks a significant advancement in the investigation into the November 2023 heist that shocked the art world and raised serious questions about security at one of the worldS โขmost famousโฃ museums.
The โขstolen items, valued at an estimated tens of millions โฃof euros, included a diamond-and-emeraldโข necklace giftedโค by Napoleon to Empress Marie-Louise, โjewels belonging to 19th-century Queens Marie-Amรฉlie and Hortense, and Empress Eugรฉnie’sโ pearl-and-diamond tiara.The theft has prompted a thorough review of security protocols at the Louvre and fueled public โconcern overโค the vulnerability of โnational treasures.
Investigators persistent thieves breached the museum’s security in less than eight minutes,โฃ utilizing a freight lift and grinders to access and shatter display cases โin the Apollo Gallery. While โthe emerald-set imperial crown of Empress Eugรฉnie, containing over 1,300 diamonds, was โrecovered near the museum shortly afterโค the robbery, the majority of the jewels remain unrecovered.
Louvreโข Museum director laurence des Cars acknowledged a “terrible failure” in security following the incident and pledged the installation of enhanced surveillance cameras and anti-intrusion systems. The ongoing investigation aims to identify all โคindividuals involved in the theft and recover the remaining stolen artifacts.
