Two Louvre heist suspects 'partly confess'

Prosecutor Laure Beccuau 'hopeful' stolen jewels will be returned

French riot police patrol outside the Louvre Museum, where a daylight robbery took place. Reuters

Two suspects arrested over the $102 million theft of royal jewels from the Louvre have “partly confessed”, a French prosecutor said on Wednesday.

Four hooded thieves stole the jewels after breaking into Louvre on the morning of October 19, exposing security lapses at the world's most-visited museum.

Those arrested are suspected of being the pair who forced their way into the museum's Galerie d'Apollon (Gallery of Apollo) and used cutters to open the display cases, Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau said at a news conference on Wednesday.

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They will be charged with theft and criminal conspiracy after “partially admitting to the charges”, she said.

They face preliminary charges for theft committed by an organised gang and criminal conspiracy and could face up to 15 years in prison if convicted.

Ms Beccuau said DNA evidence on a scooter used in the robbery and on the glass cages that were smashed had helped to find the suspects.

She said one of the men had a conviction for theft, using a car to ram a cash machine. He is French and was on bail for another crime. The other was an Algerian with driving convictions. Both are in their thirties.

Ms Beccuau said she had not ruled out that more than the four people seen on CCTV could have been involved in the crime. There was no evidence to suggest the robbery was an inside job, she said.

She said she hoped the jewels would be returned as they would be “impossible” to sell. There is still time to retrieve them, she said.

“I want to remain hopeful that [the jewels] will be found and they can be brought back to the Louvre, and more broadly to the nation,” Ms Beccuau said.

Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau speaks during a press conference about the investigation into the Louvre Museum heist in Paris. Reuters

Earlier on Wednesday, French police acknowledged major gaps in the Louvre’s defences.

Paris Police Chief Patrice Faure told Senate lawmakers that ageing systems and slow-moving fixes left weak seams in the museum.

“A technological step has not been taken,” he said, noting parts of the video network are still analogue, producing lower quality images that are slow to share in real time.

A long-promised revamp – a $93 million project requiring roughly 60km of new cabling – “will not be finished before 2029–2030”, he said.

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  The Louvre in Paris has been robbed by several criminals who smashed windows and stole jewellery. EPA

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  This emerald-and-diamond necklace that Napoleon gave to his wife, Empress Marie Louise, was taken. AFP

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  An extendable ladder used by the thieves to access one of the upper floors of the museum. EPA

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  Police officers work by the crane believed to have been used in the robbery. Reuters

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  Empress Eugenie's crown being pictured. It was recovered after the thieves dropped it as they made their escape. AFP

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  Police officers seal off the entrance to the museum. Getty Images

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  The Louvre is sealed off after the robbery. Getty Images

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  Police officers look for clues by a basket lift used by the thieves. AP

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  A tiara, necklace and single earring from the sapphire set that belonged to Queen Marie-Amelie and Queen Hortense was among the items stolen. AFP

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  Police at the scene. Getty Images

Mr Faure also disclosed that the Louvre’s authorisation to operate its security cameras expired in July and was not renewed – a paperwork lapse that some see as a symbol of broader negligence.

“Officers arrived extremely fast,” Mr Faure said. However, he added, the lag occurred earlier in the chain – from first detection, to museum security, to the emergency line, to police command.

Mr Faure and his team said the first alert to police was not from the Louvre’s alarms but from a cyclist outside who dialled the emergency line after seeing helmeted men with a basket lift.