DNA traces reportedly help police nab Louvre suspects
Two suspects have been arrested in connection with the theft of the royal jewels from the Louvre Museum in Paris, justice and police officials said, a week after the heist stunned the world and sparked a massive manhunt.
Investigators made the arrests on Saturday evening, the Paris prosecutor said, adding that one of the detained men was preparing to leave the country from Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport.
French media BFM TV and Le Parisien newspaper had previously reported that two suspects were arrested and detained.
Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau did not confirm the number of arrests and did not say whether any jewelry had been found.
A police official who was not authorized to speak publicly about the ongoing case told The Associated Press that two men in their 30s, both known to police, were taken into custody.
He said a suspect was arrested after trying to board a flight to Algeria.
🇫🇷 The Louvre Museum opened on October 27, 2025, the Apollo Gallery reopened.🌎 The Louvre Museum is open on Monday, October 27, 2025, but the Apollo Gallery will remain closed. pic.twitter.com/2zuqFCRrKL— Musée du Louvre (@MuseeLouvre) October 26, 2025
One of the suspects was identified through DNA traces, the official added.
Beccuau said earlier this week that forensic experts analyzed 150 samples at the scene.
Suspects can be held in police custody for up to 96 hours.
Thieves stole 88 million euros ($A157 million) worth of jewelery from the world’s most visited museum in less than eight minutes last Sunday morning.
French authorities described how the intruders used a boom lift to scale the Louvre’s facade, pry open a window, smash display cases and escape.
The museum director called the incident a “terrible failure”.
Beccuau said the arrests were made by investigators from a special police unit responsible for armed robberies, serious burglaries and art thefts.
In his statement, he said he regretted that the information had been leaked prematurely, which could have hindered the work of more than 100 investigators who were “mobilized to recover the stolen jewels and catch all perpetrators.”
Beccuau said more details would be released after the suspects’ detention period ends.
French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez praised “the inspectors who worked tirelessly as I asked of them and always maintained my trust.”
The Louvre reopened earlier this week.
Thieves made off with a total of eight objects, including a sapphire tiara, necklace and single earring, from a set belonging to 19th-century queens Marie-Amélie and Hortense.
They also received a reliquary brooch as well as emerald necklace and earrings tied to Empress Marie-Louise, Napoleon Bonaparte’s second wife.
Empress Eugénie’s diamond tiara and large flower bow brooch – an imperial ensemble of rare craftsmanship – were also part of the loot.
One piece—Eugénie’s emerald-studded imperial tiara containing more than 1,300 diamonds—was later found damaged but repairable outside the museum.
News of the arrest was welcomed by Louvre visitors and passersby on Sunday.
Freddy Jacquemet said, “It’s important for our legacy. A week later, it feels a little late, we wonder how this could happen – but it was important that the men were caught.”
“I think the real question right now is whether they can save the jewelry,” Diana Ramirez said. he added.
“That’s what really matters.”
