Did a security guard help them? New lead in the Louvre heist investigation; thieves also left a fingerprint

According to digital forensic analyses, evidence suggests that one of the museum’s security staff had contact with individuals believed to be the perpetrators of the theft.

It is thought that the gang obtained confidential information about the museum’s security in advance.

“There is digital evidence indicating collaboration between a museum guard and the thieves,” a source told the British newspaper.

French police arrested two men on October 25 on suspicion of involvement in the recent heist.

The robbery occurred on October 19 at the Louvre in Paris, when nine items from the royal family collection were stolen.

Robbers from Paris?

Two suspects arrested last weekend for their involvement in the theft of valuable items from the Louvre in Paris are originally from Aubervilliers in the Paris region, French media report.

The suspects, both around 30 years old, were arrested on Saturday and are in custody, which can last up to 96 hours. They were previously known to the police, according to BFM TV.

One suspect was apprehended Saturday evening at Roissy-Charles de Gaulle Airport while attempting to board a flight to Algeria, while the other was arrested in Aubervilliers. Both are from that town, located seven kilometers from Paris in the Seine-Saint-Denis area.

They had been under investigation for several days, according to French television.

A “decisive DNA trace,” in the form of a fingerprint, was reportedly found at the scene of the robbery. Paris prosecutor Laure Becco stated on Thursday that over 150 DNA samples had been collected for the investigation.

The robbery took place on October 19 at the Louvre in Paris, when nine items from the royal family collection were stolen.

Four thieves entered the building from the side facing the Seine River, where construction work was underway, using a freight lift to gain direct access to the Apollo Gallery.

According to authorities, eight items were stolen, including diadems, necklaces, earrings, and brooches that belonged to Napoleon’s wife, Empress Marie-Louise; his niece-in-law, Queen Hortense of the Netherlands; Queen Marie-Amélie, wife of the last French king, Louis-Philippe, who reigned from 1830 to 1848; and Empress Eugénie, wife of Napoleon III, who reigned from 1852 to 1870.

Empress Eugénie’s crown was also stolen but was later found damaged near the museum after the thieves dropped it.

The stolen items are estimated to be worth €88 million.