Paris authorities have arrested 4 suspects in reference to one of many boldest museum robberies in current reminiscence.
On October 19, a four-man gang stormed the Louvre Museum’s Apollo Gallery, residence to priceless royal jewels. Utilizing a stolen truck geared up with a telescopic ladder and freight elevate, they climbed to a first-floor window, smashed via the glass, and broke open two show circumstances.
The whole operation took lower than seven minutes. The thieves escaped on bikes with eight items of jewellery value €88 million, together with an emerald-and-diamond necklace gifted by Napoleon I to Empress Marie-Louise and a diadem belonging to Empress Eugénie, adorned with 212 pearls and almost 2,000 diamonds.
The influencer behind the crime
In keeping with Le Parisien, the lead suspect, Abdoulaye N., recognized on-line as “Doudou Cross Bitume,” is a 39-year-old influencer from the Paris suburb of Aubervilliers.
He rose to fame with motorcycle stunt movies on TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram, the place he showcased his abilities on highly effective scooters across the Stade de France space.
Regardless of his on-line reputation, Abdoulaye N. had 15 prior prison convictions, together with drug possession, driving and not using a license, and even a 2014 jewelry-store theft. He had additionally labored as a safety guard on the Pompidou Centre and the Musée Fréquet d’Albine — expertise investigators consider helped him navigate museum safety programs.
DNA proof and ongoing investigation
Police arrested the suspect at his residence on October 25, six days after the heist. His DNA was discovered on a shattered show case and on gloves and reducing instruments deserted on the scene.
Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau mentioned the suspects “don’t match the profile of a extremely organized prison group,” elevating suspicions that they could have acted beneath course from a bigger community.
Protection lawyer Maxime Cavaillé urged the general public to respect the presumption of innocence, saying media consideration had created “a rare environment” across the case.
Jewels nonetheless lacking
All 4 suspects stay in custody, however not one of the stolen jewels have been recovered. Investigators consider the items might have already been smuggled out of France or dismantled for resale.
