Overview
- Nine people are in custody, including two Louvre employees, several tour guides and a suspected organizer, in a judicial investigation opened after the museum’s 2024 complaint.
- Authorities estimate losses exceeding €10 million over a decade, with investigators saying the network may have funneled up to 20 tour groups per day into the museum.
- Police seized about €957,000 in cash, including foreign currency, plus €486,000 from bank accounts, and suspect proceeds were invested in real estate in France and Dubai.
- Investigators cite repeated reuse of single-entry tickets, splitting groups to avoid guide fees, and bribery or collusion by some staff, with Chinese tour groups reportedly targeted and a similar scheme suspected at Versailles.
- Separately, a burst heating pipe in Denon Room 707 damaged an 1819 Charles Meynier ceiling painting, prompting temporary closures of nearby rooms, with the Mona Lisa unaffected.