In brief
Following the brazen theft of valuable crown jewels from the Louvre museum, two suspects have been arrested. Known to police for prior burglaries, the men reportedly used power tools to access the museum in broad daylight, prompting the French justice minister to acknowledge failures in the museum's security protocols. The incident has sparked a review of security measures at cultural institutions throughout France.
Two suspects have been arrested over the theft of precious crown jewels from Paris's Louvre museum, according to French media reports.
As per Le Parisien newspaper, the two men hail from the Paris suburb of Seine-Saint-Denis, and one was attempting to board a flight from Charles de Gaulle Airport when apprehended.
On Sunday, four thieves broke into the world's most-visited museum in broad daylight, armed with power tools to steal items of inestimable value.
Following the incident, France's justice minister admitted that security protocols typically in place failed, resulting in a tarnished reputation for the country.
The suspects, who have previous burglary records, were arrested on Saturday evening.
Specialist police are handling the case and are authorized to interrogate the suspects for up to 96 hours.
The burglary transpired shortly after the museum opened at approximately 09:30 (06:30 GMT), with reports indicating that the thieves used a mechanical lift to access the Galerie d'Apollon via a nearby balcony.
Images from the crime scene illustrated a ladder positioned against the first-floor window, which the thieves breached by cutting through the structure.
Inside the museum, two thieves threatened security guards prompting an evacuation and subsequently used power tools to break into glass displays housing the jewels.
Preliminary evaluations revealed that a significant portion of the area targeted had no operational CCTV cameras.
The suspects managed to escape on scooters, leaving the museum four minutes after entering.
In response to this incident, French authorities have increased security measures around the nation's cultural institutions.
