More than 100 investigators are working on the ongoing probe into the Louvre Museum robbery, announced Paris prosecutor Laure Beco on October 25. “The number of investigators has increased since last Sunday, rising from about 60 to over 100 today,” she stated in an interview with Le Journal du Dimanche (JDD).
Beco highlighted that the case has received significantly higher resources than typical investigations, tenfold the usual scale. The Anti-Banditry Bureau and Anti-Smuggling Department are collaborating on the investigation, alongside art market experts. A magistrate is assigned to the case, operating around the clock, while investigators continue gathering evidence. Over 150 DNA samples and other traces have been collected, with video footage analysis from the museum’s surveillance systems completed to trace the criminals’ movements.
Beco emphasized confidence in the organized nature of the perpetrators, noting they acted calmly, without weapons, and swiftly. The thieves reportedly stole valuables within minutes, leaving no evidence behind.
The stolen items included jewelry from Emperor Napoleon’s collection. On October 19, a group of intruders targeted the museum, with the broken crown of Emperor Napoleon III’s wife, Eugenie, later found near the site. The Louvre reopened three days after the theft, drawing large crowds despite the incident. Some stolen jewelry was reportedly relocated to the Bank of France for security evaluation, where approximately 90% of France’s gold reserves are stored.
