The thieves of jewelry from the Louvre tried to negotiate with an Israeli company about their sale, its CEO claims

The Israeli firm CGI Group said that Louvre management ignored the thieves' offer to enter into negotiations for the return of the stolen jewelry, even after the attackers presented evidence that they actually owned some of the stolen items. Ynet reports this.

CGI Group CEO Cvika Nave said the company received an encrypted message through its website five days after the October 19 robbery. The sender claimed to represent the thieves and limited communication to 24 hours.

The company entered into a series of encrypted chats with the representative and received indications that the interlocutor actually had at least some of the stolen items. “They were on the run and wanted to get rid of their loot quickly,” Naveh said. CGI Group passed on the obtained data to the client who ordered the investigation, and he passed it on to the management of the Louvre.

Navet criticized the museum for its slowness: “We have lost the trust of the thieves, and the Louvre has missed a real chance to return the jewelry. Unfortunately, ego and hesitation seem to have played a role.” He also said that several months before the theft, in an interview with the Italian publication Il Tempo, he warned about discussions on the darknet, which mentioned plans to rob the Louvre, including a possible attempt to steal the Mona Lisa.

The Louvre, however, said that the museum had no direct contact with the CGI Group and no negotiations took place. The company claims that the communication was carried out through an Italian division, presumably acting on behalf of an insurance company associated with the museum.

According to the investigation, the robbery occurred on the afternoon of October 19. The criminals used a retractable ladder mounted on a stolen truck to gain access to the museum and used cutting equipment to cut open a window.

They dropped the diamond and emerald crown as they walked down the stairs and tried to escape on scooters. However, they managed to steal eight other exhibits. Among the stolen items is an emerald and diamond necklace that Napoleon Bonaparte gave to his wife, Empress Marie-Louise.

On October 26, it was reported that two suspects were detained. According to Le Figaro, the suspects partially admitted their guilt. The publication writes that one of them, a 34-year-old Algerian citizen, told investigators that he was engaged in courier delivery. He was already known to police for traffic offenses and had previously been prosecuted for theft. The second suspect, a 39-year-old man, worked illegally as a taxi driver and courier. He was also under investigation for theft, the newspaper clarifies.

On October 30, law enforcement officers detained five more suspects. As Paris prosecutor Laure Beco reported on Thursday, October 30, the arrests took place the night before in Paris and in the Seine-Saint-Denis department, located in the suburbs of the French capital. According to the prosecutor, the stolen items have not yet been found.