Louvre Heist Investigation Reaches Belgium
French investigators have reportedly expanded their probe into the theft of eight French crown jewels from the Louvre—valued at €88 million ($102 million)—to Belgium, nearly eight months after the break-in, according to Artnet News citing Euronews and other outlets. Authorities have arrested at least 11 suspects and charged five, but the jewels’ location remains unknown; investigators reportedly found photos of the Louvre and its Galerie d’Apollon, plus location data and contacts pointing to Belgium, on suspects’ cell phones. Reports describe several suspects as Eastern European and linked to freight theft, with Belgian media noting prior arrests in Belgium for a truck robbery, though prosecutors in Paris and Belgium declined to confirm details. A new book about the heist cited in Le Monde suggested the thieves may have separated the jewels during their escape after dropping a ninth item—Empress Eugénie’s crown—and warned that traffickers could cut up the pieces to evade detection; suspects face potential 15-year organized-crime sentences.
From This Briefing
This story was covered in Museum Shakeups, Biennale Backlash, and a Louvre Trail