Burglary: BKA and Interpol search for stolen Louvre jewels

Following the spectacular break-in at the Louvre Museum in Paris, the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) and the international police organization Interpol have also joined the manhunt. Both agencies published a photo of the stolen jewels and asked for assistance in solving the case and recovering the loot. Interpol added the jewels stolen in Paris to its database of stolen art objects, which contains a total of around 57,000 objects.

In the break-in over a week ago, jewels with an estimated value of 88 million euros were stolen – a theft that not only caused horror but also sharp criticism of the security measures at the world-famous museum.

Security at the Louvre must be improved

The president of the Culture Commission in the French Senate, Laurent Lafon, called for swift improvements to security measures. "We are dealing with a security organization that does not meet the expectations one might have of a museum," Lafon said after a site visit to the Louvre , pointing to "numerous improvements that still need to be made," including regarding video surveillance.

French Culture Minister Rachida Dati also told the Senate: "The fact that this spectacular theft took place is a failure." Dati emphasized that the alarm had worked and that security personnel had followed procedures, but admitted: "There were indeed security gaps." These must be addressed.

On Saturday, two suspects already known to the police for theft were arrested, having been identified by investigators using DNA evidence. As the newspaper "Le Parisien" reported, citing investigators, the two invoked their right to remain silent during questioning by investigators. So far, there has been no trace of the two alleged accomplices, who are on the run, or of the loot.