Mastermind of €88m Louvre heist believes ‘they could have taken more’ | Paris

Two men suspected of stealing the Crown Jewels worth €88m (£75m) from the Louvre Museum in Paris last October have told investigators that the alleged mastermind behind the heist was disappointed by the stolen items and thought they “could have taken more”.

The French newspaper Le Monde cited transcripts of the interrogation of the alleged thieves last month by the two investigating judges responsible for the investigation, providing detailed insights into the robbery that made international headlines and led to the resignation of the museum director.

According to the account seen by the newspaper, the suspects, known locally as Abdullah N and Ghulam Allah A, claimed that they stormed the Apollo Gallery at the Louvre Museum on the orders of an agent whose name they refused to mention for fear of their families.

The duo seized eight pieces of jewelry, including crowns, brooches, necklaces and earrings. But during their escape, the suspects dropped a gem-encrusted tiara worn by Empress Eugenie, wife of Napoleon III, in the 19th century.

Abdullah is said to have admitted, saying: “Yes, it was me, it fell out of my bag,” adding, when judges showed him a photo of the badly damaged crown: “What we did was not right, it is very dangerous.”

He added that the two men handed over the remaining loot to the alleged mastermind, who was “not happy” with the result. “He thought we could have taken more,” he told investigators.

Both men said they were hired just two or three days before the break-in, and were shown a video filmed inside the gallery showing Napoleon’s jewel boxes, to prepare them for the robbery.

Abdullah N. was quoted as saying that they were given a clear mission: “to break the windows and retrieve the jewelry from inside the display cabinets.”

Abdullah N, a former child social media star with a passion for motorbikes, said he was in “severe financial straits” and was promised between €15,000 and €20,000 for his role in the robbery. “Maybe more, depending on how much money you bring in.”

He said the alleged client’s motives were financial and that he was planning to resell the stolen jewelry.

Abdullah N. was quoted as telling investigators: “I knew I was going to rob the Louvre Museum,” while Ghulam Allah A. said. He was unaware of Target, which he said was initially presented to him as “a jewelry store where they make jewelry in Paris” rather than the most visited museum in the world.

“I never would have set foot there if I had known,” he said, explaining that he agreed to a fee of between €20,000 and €25,000.

After reaching the first floor balcony via a furniture lift, the duo allegedly broke through a window of the Apollo Gallery, entered the museum and began cutting out the windows of two of the display cases.

“When we entered, there was no one there, it was dark, and there were only lights in the display cabinets,” the report quoted Abdullah N. as saying. “In the distance, I could see security personnel moving, behind the door, or something like that.”

He said he was aware they were racing against time.

“We had to take as much jewelry as we could,” he said. “If it takes more than three minutes, we know we have to leave, otherwise we’ll be reported. To me, what we did was taking too long.”

Both Abdullah N and Ghulamullah A said they did not know what had happened to the jewelry since then, but they refused to give investigators clues to the identity of the mastermind or any accomplices for fear of retaliation.

“They are not members of the choir,” Ghulamullah A said. Abdullah N. was equally cautious: “I was not threatened, but I received calls from abroad [while in detention]. They told me to keep quiet.”

Le Monde said investigators have not confirmed that the thieves were acting on behalf of anyone.