Louvre jewel thief says heist took longer than expected

A suspect in the October heist at the Louvre Museum revealed that the operation to steal precious jewels took longer than anticipated, according to a police interrogation transcript obtained by the French newspaper Le Monde.

Abdoulaye N., one of two individuals suspected of the break-in, stated during questioning that the plan was to take as many jewels as possible, with a strict three-minute limit to avoid capture. "I think what we did took too long," he reportedly said.

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I think what we did took too long.

He further explained that he believed his accomplice, Ghelamallah A., was too slow in breaking open the display cases. Abdoulaye N. assisted his accomplice after opening his own case. The group ultimately stole eight valuable jewels before escaping with two other accomplices who waited outside, just seconds before police arrived.

Abdoulaye N. also admitted to dropping Empress Eugénie's crown, which was later found near the museum. He claimed to have carried all the stolen items. The suspects indicated that an unidentified individual, feared for potential retaliation, masterminded the heist. They expressed frustration, stating, "The leader was not happy. He thought we could have taken much more. We lost time when we had to go through the window (to get into the museum)."

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The leader was not happy. He thought we could have taken much more. We lost time when we had to go through the window (to get into the museum).