Crownless: Heist at the Louvre

In Greek mythology, Hermes wore a cap of invisibility to slip past guards and steal whatever he wanted. You don't need magic for that, it turns out—just a neon yellow vest and a clipboard. That's what four childhood friends from the working-class Parisian suburb of Seine-Saint-Denis—known locally as "the 93"—allegedly decided one October morning in 2025. By the time anyone looked up, the crown jewels of France were gone. This case is still developing; the four men have been arrested and charged but not yet tried. What follows is what investigators allege based on evidence, interrogations, and surveillance footage.

The crew and the disguise

The alleged ringleader is Abdoulaye N., a 39-year-old motocross influencer who calls himself "Dudu Cross Bateau" online—a branding as king of the streets, with over 700,000 views on his urban rodeo videos. He has arrests spanning 15 years: reckless endangerment, drug trafficking, a conviction for robbing a jewelry store. His childhood friends include Rachid H., 37, a construction worker with a license to operate furniture lifts; Slamane K., about whom little is known beyond a reported theft arrest; and Ayet G., 35, who would later tell police he had no idea the place they were robbing was the Louvre Museum. According to the Paris prosecutor, these are "blue-collar workers from the projects"—petty criminals with no organized crime ties wh