Read on Global NewsLouvre Museum Heist: Four Suspects in Custody Including French Social Media Star
Four suspects are now in custody following the brazen daylight heist at the Louvre Museum in Paris, including a 39-year-old French social media personality known as Doudou Cross Bitume. The October 19th robbery saw thieves use a cherry picker to access the museum's Apollo Gallery, stealing crown jewels worth approximately $102 million in less than eight minutes. The investigation has revealed significant security vulnerabilities at the world's most-visited museum, including outdated surveillance systems and delayed modernization efforts.
The Louvre Museum in Paris, one of the world's most iconic cultural institutions, is grappling with the aftermath of a sophisticated daylight heist that has exposed critical security vulnerabilities. Four suspects are now in custody following the October 19th robbery that saw thieves steal crown jewels valued at approximately $102 million in a meticulously planned operation lasting less than eight minutes.
The Suspects and Investigation
Among the four suspects in custody is Abdoulaye N, a 39-year-old French social media personality known online as Doudou Cross Bitume. According to reports from Le Parisien, the suspect was detained at his home in Aubervilliers and placed in pre-trial detention. He faces preliminary charges of theft by an organized gang and criminal conspiracy. Three of the four suspects are believed to be members of the team filmed using a cherry picker to reach the museum's window and gain access to the Apollo Gallery.
Abdoulaye N runs YouTube and TikTok channels under the name Doudou Cross Bitume, where he posts videos performing motocross tricks in Paris and Aubervilliers. His acquaintances described him to BFMTV as a "role model for his generation" and a "star of motorcycle stunts." Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau revealed that Abdoulaye N had been convicted in 2015 for a robbery committed in 2014, in the same theft case involving a 37-year-old who was also arrested last week in connection with the Louvre heist.
Security Failures Revealed
The investigation has uncovered alarming security deficiencies at the Louvre Museum. According to reports from ABC News and French outlet Libération, the password to the museum's video surveillance system at the time of the heist was reportedly just "Louvre." This information was allegedly revealed by France's National Cybersecurity Agency in a 2014 audit, highlighting long-standing security concerns that went unaddressed.
Louvre director Laurence des Cars faced questioning by a cultural committee at the French Senate following the robbery, where she acknowledged the museum's security weaknesses. "Today we are experiencing a terrible failure at the Louvre, which I take my share of responsibility in," des Cars stated. She confirmed that the museum had a shortage of security cameras outside the monument and that the only camera over the Apollo Gallery was facing west and didn't capture the balcony where the break-in occurred.
Broader Security Implications
France's court of auditors had previously urged the Louvre to speed up its security modernization plans in a report conducted before the heist. The report noted major delays in the renovation of the famous museum, with security upgrades moving at a "woefully inadequate pace." Pierre Moscovici, head of the court of auditors, described the theft as a "deafening alarm bell" and a "wake-up call" for museum security.
The audit report revealed that between 2018 and 2024, only three million euros ($3.5 million) had been invested in security modernization out of an estimated total cost of 83 million euros ($95 million). The court of auditors recommended that the Louvre prioritize bringing the museum's technical facilities—particularly safety and security—up to standards, even if it meant reducing art acquisition and saving on museum rooms' renovation projects.
Ongoing Legal Proceedings
The legal proceedings surrounding the suspects continue to develop. A French court postponed Abdoulaye N's trial in a separate case due to media attention and other issues that may impede the fairness of the proceedings. His trial on charges of damaging public property will now take place in April, according to The Associated Press.
Maxime Cavaillé, one of Abdoulaye N's lawyers, told reporters they would be "extremely vigilant about several points, first of all the respect of the presumption of innocence … and the respect of judicial proceedings." The prosecutor agreed the case must be judged in "serene conditions" that were not met due to the extensive media coverage of the Louvre heist.
The Louvre heist has sparked international attention and raised serious questions about security at cultural institutions worldwide. As the investigation continues and security upgrades are implemented, the art world watches closely to see how one of its most prestigious institutions responds to this unprecedented security breach.
