Paris: Louvre robber reportedly demands eight million euros for jewel

Following the spectacular robbery at the Louvre in Paris, an alleged accomplice has apparently come forward on the darknet – with an offer.

On October 23, a user with the pseudonym "Anubis_Dealer" allegedly wrote to the Israeli CGI Group on a non-public darknet platform. The incident was reported by the German newspaper "Bild." The user reportedly asked whether the recipients were the security firm "behind the deportation in Dresden."

The "Bild" editorial team has screenshots of these messages. The chat message reportedly read: "We have something similar – one of the missing pieces from the Louvre. Real proof. Are you in?"

After investigators from CGI Group, a private company based in Israel , examined the source and the offer, they concluded, according to the report, that the sender was "very likely" to actually be in possession of some of the loot.

On October 19, four men stole historic jewels from the famous Apollo Gallery of the Louvre. Using a stolen truck equipped with a ladder and freight elevator, the perpetrators smashed two display cases and fled in less than seven minutes with eight valuable pieces – including jewelry that had belonged to Napoleon. French police arrested several suspects shortly afterward, but the stolen goods remain missing.

During this phase, a person connected to the museum contacted the Israeli security firm CGI Group – a company specializing in the recovery of stolen cultural artifacts, which was reportedly already involved in the recovery of the Dresden jewel heist. According to Bild, CGI, through its Rome branch, was commissioned to review leads and examine the possibility of restitution.

On October 23, according to Bild, a user named "Anubis_Dealer" contacted the darknet with a concrete offer. The sender demanded a payment of eight million euros within 24 hours in the cryptocurrency Monero – a digital currency where transactions cannot be traced. According to the darknet contact, the handover of the jewel was to take place in a neutral location; Austria or Slovakia were suggested. However, according to Bild, the deal fell through – French authorities thwarted the handover through bureaucratic delays.

CGI CEO Zvika Nave subsequently accused the authorities of preventing the return of the jewels through bureaucratic delays and "ego conflicts." When the anonymous contact contacted them again on November 1st, he reacted angrily, claiming CGI had remained silent for too long, which he interpreted as disinterest. In its response, the company rejected this, writing: "The silence was not a sign of a lack of intent – ​​it was due to interference from individuals outside our control." "Anubis_Dealer" then retorted: "Words are nice, but actions speak louder than words."