Louvre Heist Suspects Claim Mastermind Was ‘Not Happy’ with Haul
Two men charged with stealing €88m in jewels from the Louvre say they were hired by a figure who thought they could have taken more, according to interrogation transcripts.
Two men accused of stealing eight pieces of French crown jewellery from the Louvre museum in Paris last October have told investigating magistrates that they acted on the orders of a client who was disappointed by the result. The suspects, identified in French legal documents as Abdoulaye N. and Ghelamallah A., claimed the alleged organiser told them they “could have taken more” after they handed over the loot, according to transcripts of their June interrogations obtained by the French newspaper Le Monde.
The heist, which took place on 19 October 2025, targeted the Apollo gallery and netted tiaras, a brooch, necklaces and earrings valued at €88 million. During the escape, a gem-encrusted crown that belonged to Empress Eugénie, wife of Napoleon III, fell from a bag and was later recovered badly damaged. Both men were arrested within a week and have been charged with organised robbery. In the interrogations, Abdoulaye N., a 40-year-old former social-media personality, said he was in “dire straits” financially and was promised between €15,000 and €20,000 for his role. Ghelamallah A., a 36-year-old unemployed Algerian, said he was offered €20,000 to €25,000 but believed the target was a Paris jewellery workshop, not the world’s most visited museum.
The suspects described being recruited only two or three days before the break-in and shown a video of the display cases to prepare. On the morning of the theft, they used a furniture lift to reach a first-floor balcony, broke a window, and cut into two vitrines with a power cutter. Abdoulaye N. told judges they had roughly three minutes to gather as many pieces as possible before security would be alerted. The pair fled on scooters, transferred to a waiting van, and, by their account, delivered the jewels to the mastermind in an underground car park in the northern suburb of Aubervilliers. Both men refused to identify the alleged organiser or any accomplices, citing fear of reprisals. “They’re no choirboys,” Ghelamallah A. said, while Abdoulaye N. stated he had received calls while in detention telling him to “keep quiet.”
French investigators have not confirmed that the two men were acting on anyone else’s behalf, Le Monde reported, and the whereabouts of the jewels remain unknown. The suspects are in custody awaiting trial, and the judicial inquiry is ongoing.
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The thieves report acting on orders of a client dissatisfied with the haul. The mastermind is described as disappointed because the theft could have yielded more.
The report relies on the official source (Le Monde) and interrogation transcripts to ensure credibility, without adding interpretation.
The suspects break their silence and reveal details of the commissioned theft. The mastermind is dissatisfied and the thieves fear for their families.
The novelty of the revelation and the judicial source are emphasized to create a sense of exclusivity, but without judgment.
The thieves act on orders of a dissatisfied mastermind. The theft is presented as a well-organized operation but with a disappointing outcome for the client.
The news relies solely on interrogation transcripts and the Le Monde source, without adding comments or contextualization.
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