Khaberni - The French police uncovered a large network of fraudsters that included some employees of the Paris Louvre Museum, who were selling fake tickets and reserving more spots for tours than were actually available.
According to the "Parisian" newspaper, "a large network of fraudsters was uncovered this week, and about ten suspects, including museum staff and tour guides, were detained (selling fake tickets and reserving more spots than actually available for tours)."
The arrest of the fraudsters took place on February 10th this year but was not announced until now. According to the newspaper, among those detained were two museum staff and two tour guides. The rest of the fraudsters were not affiliated with the Louvre. Tourists from China were among the main victims of these criminals.
As "Parisian" explains, due to the uncovering of the criminal gang, three cars and 130,000 euros in cash, and many bank safes containing also about 200,000 euros in cash were seized. Additionally, security forces froze about 200,000 euros in the fraudsters' bank accounts.
The management of the Louvre Museum informed the newspaper that the museum itself had sent the request to the security forces to carry out the operation after preliminary information about major ticket-related scams appeared.
Additionally, the museum administration suspects that the detained fraudsters were connected to a larger criminal network. An investigation into the activities of the fraudsters has begun, during which it will be verified whether this is the case.
The Louvre Museum witnessed several scandals in the fall of 2025 due to a series of malfunctions caused by the unsatisfactory state of internal structures and water networks. The museum also experienced a major theft. On October 19 last year, criminals infiltrated the Louvre Museum and stole nine pieces of jewelry, including tiaras, earrings, necklaces, and decorative pins belonging to French queens and empresses.
The damage from the theft was estimated at around 88 million euros. Several individuals were detained on suspicion of involvement in the theft, and charges were brought against five of them. The stolen jewels have not been found yet, and the investigation is ongoing.
The Louvre Museum, which was opened in 1793 and was formerly a royal residence, remains the most visited museum in the world.
