French authorities have arrested nine individuals, including two Louvre employees, as part of a probe into a decade-long ticket fraud scheme that allegedly cost the museum over €10 million. This investigation was initiated following a complaint lodged by the Louvre in December 2024.
The arrested suspects include two Chinese tour guides accused of repeatedly using the same tickets for different groups of tourists, alongside several other guides and a suspected organizer. Investigators are examining whether this operation facilitated up to 20 tour groups per day over the past ten years.
The Paris prosecutor’s office reported that surveillance and wiretaps indicated a pattern of ticket misuse and a strategy to divide tourist groups to evade mandatory fees imposed on guides. Additionally, the investigation has identified potential accomplices within the Louvre, who were allegedly bribed to overlook ticket checks.
Official judicial inquiries began in June of last year, focusing on allegations that encompass organized fraud, money laundering, corruption, aiding illegal entry into France as part of an organized group, and the use of forged administrative documents. Reports suggest that some of the illicit proceeds may have been invested in real estate in France and Dubai. Authorities have seized over €957,000 in cash, including €67,000 in foreign currency, and €486,000 from bank accounts.
Similar ticket fraud schemes are also suspected at the Palace of Versailles, although no further details have been disclosed.
In a related incident, the Louvre experienced a high-profile robbery on October 19, when thieves, disguised in yellow vests, smashed display cases and stole nine pieces of jewelry from Napoleon’s collection, valued at €88 million. Some artifacts, including the Empress Eugenie’s crown, have been recovered, but the whereabouts of the remaining items remain unknown.
The robbery has raised significant concerns regarding security at the Louvre, as the perpetrators managed to escape in under eight minutes using a freight elevator. They were later apprehended by police, intensifying scrutiny on the museum’s management, especially as the French parliament conducts a separate investigation and museum staff prepare for a strike over staffing shortages and workload issues.
Recently, the Louvre also faced an emergency water leak that damaged hundreds of publications in the Egyptian antiquities library.
French prosecutors have launched an investigation into a ticket fraud scheme at the Louvre Museum, leading to the arrest of nine individuals, including museum staff. The scheme is believed to have cost the museum over €10 million and has raised concerns about security and management practices at the institution.