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The Big Sip
Image: Time
The take: French police arrested two suspects in the €88 million Louvre heist within a week. Four thieves stole Napoleon's crown jewels using a truck-mounted ladder and motorbikes in under eight minutes.
What happened: On Saturday evening, French authorities arrested two men in their 30s—one at Charles de Gaulle Airport attempting to board a flight to Algeria, the other in Seine-Saint-Denis suburb—connected to the 19 October daylight robbery that saw thieves steal Napoleon's crown jewels using a truck-mounted ladder and motorbikes.
Why it matters: The arrests demonstrate effective police response under high-profile pressure. The heist succeeded because the Louvre's second-floor windows had inadequate security for a facility housing priceless treasures.
What to watch: Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau declined to confirm whether any of the stolen jewels have been recovered or specify exact arrest numbers, with at least two suspects from the original four-person team still at large and €88 million in royal jewelry unaccounted for.
[Report] Time magazine covers the arrests and ongoing manhunt.
French police detained both suspects on Saturday evening, one while attempting to flee the country, the other in northern Paris.
Both men were already known to law enforcement.
The thieves executed the heist on 19 October, using a truck-mounted extendable ladder to reach a second-floor Apollo Gallery window, smashing display cases and escaping on motorbikes with eight pieces.
Among the stolen items was a diamond-and-emerald necklace Napoleon had gifted Empress Marie-Louise. They dropped one crown during their escape but fled with the rest.
French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez praised the "investigators who have worked tirelessly" on the case.
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