The robbery of the century that has us all with coffee in our hands
It seems that the script for Ocean’s 8 fell short for a few. Several suspects have been brought to justice for the looting of the legendary crown jewels in the Louvre Museum in the City of Light, as confirmed by official sources this Sunday. A whole week after an assault that left us all speechless and unleashed an international manhunt. The Paris Prosecutor’s Office released the tip: the investigators carried out the arrests on Saturday night, and to give more drama to the plot, one of the individuals was about to pack his bags and leave the country from the Charles de Gaulle Airport. Nothing, a low-cost getaway that was cut short.
The French media, BFM TV and Le Parisien, which are like the neighborhood gossip but with better production, had previously leaked that two subjects were held. The chief prosecutor, Laure Beccuau, in a mysterious manner, did not want to confirm the exact number of arrests and, what is more important, she was very careful not to say whether the jewels were already safe in their display case. An anonymous cop, who obviously did not have permission to reveal anything, told The Associated Press that they were two men in their thirties, already known to the police files. One of them was intercepted when he was trying to board a flight to Algeria, and the other was betrayed by his own DNA remains. Beccuau had released this week that forensics were analyzing 150 samples at the crime scene. Come on, a feast for CSI lovers.
Suspects can be held by the police for up to a maximum of 96 hours. More than enough time for them to sing like in an opera concert.
The coup: less than eight minutes of pure thriller
Lovers of other people’s things needed less than eight minutes – yes, how long it takes you to decide what to watch on Netflix – to win a loot valued at 88 million euros (about 102 million dollars) last Sunday. The French authorities described a scene from a movie: the intruders used a elevating platform to scale the façade of the Louvre, forced a window, burst the display cases wildly and escaped on their legs. The director of the museum, with all the stone face in the world, described the incident as a “terrible failure.” And we, without being able to believe that such a feat occurred in the 21st century.
Beccuau noted that investigators from a special unit of the police – the tough guys who handle armed robberies and high-level art crimes – were behind the arrests. The prosecutor complained bitterly about the information leaks, stressing that they could screw up the work of more than 100 investigators who are “mobilized to recover the stolen jewelry and arrest all the perpetrators.” He said they would provide more details when the suspects’ custody period ends. In other words, stay tuned.
And the authorities… what do they say?
The French Minister of the Interior, Laurent Nunez, put on the medal and praised “the investigators who have worked tirelessly, as I asked, and who have always had my full confidence.” Very good, Laurent, you pat them on the back.
The Louvre, for its part, reopened its doors earlier this week after one of the most notorious museum robberies of the century, an event that left the world shocked by its sheer audacity and scale. The robbers came and went like Pedro through his house, taking with them part of the collection of crown jewels of France. A cultural loss so brutal that some have compared it to the fire of the Notre Dame cathedral in 2019. Because, of course, in Paris things are not done by halves.
The loot included a total of eight objects of incalculable historical value: a sapphire diadem, a necklace and an earring from a set linked to the 19th century queens María Amalia and Hortense. They also took an emerald necklace and earrings linked to Empress Marie Louise, the second wife of Napoleon Bonaparte, along with a reliquary brooch. To top it off, Empress Eugenia‘s diamond diadem and her enormous bow-shaped brooch, an imperial ensemble of exquisite craftsmanship, also passed away. Fortunately, one piece, Eugenie’s imperial crown, adorned with emeralds and more than 1,300 diamonds, was later found outside the museum, damaged but with the possibility of restoration. Something is something.
The news of the arrests was greeted with a collective sigh of relief by visitors to the Louvre and passers-by this Sunday. “It’s important for our heritage. A week later, it seems a little late, we wonder how this could happen, but it was important that the guys were caught,” said Freddy Jacquemet. “I think the main thing now is whether they can get the jewelry back,” Diana Ramirez added. “That’s what really matters.” And there is no lack of reason.
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