French border police arrested a 30-year-old Seine-Saint-Denis resident at Charles-de-Gaulle Airport in the early hours of 26 October 2025 as he tried to board a flight to Algiers. The man is suspected of participating in the €88 million Crown Jewels robbery at the Louvre on 19 October.
Officers matched his passport to an Interpol notice and flagged anomalies during EES biometric capture, illustrating the system’s utility beyond overstay control. A second suspect was arrested in Aubervilliers later the same day, police said.
The case underscores the growing convergence of border-control technology and criminal investigations. For multinational firms operating in France, the lesson is that heightened exit checks may lengthen clearance times but also enhance security of high-value cargo and VIP movements.
Law-enforcement sources say the jewels have not yet been recovered. The Musée du Louvre remains open, but its Galerie d’Apollon will stay closed until security upgrades are completed.
Officers matched his passport to an Interpol notice and flagged anomalies during EES biometric capture, illustrating the system’s utility beyond overstay control. A second suspect was arrested in Aubervilliers later the same day, police said.
The case underscores the growing convergence of border-control technology and criminal investigations. For multinational firms operating in France, the lesson is that heightened exit checks may lengthen clearance times but also enhance security of high-value cargo and VIP movements.
Law-enforcement sources say the jewels have not yet been recovered. The Musée du Louvre remains open, but its Galerie d’Apollon will stay closed until security upgrades are completed.
