Abdoulaye N, a 39-year-old ex-museum guard, was detained at his home in Aubervilliers, a suburb north of the capital. He is connected to the very recent Louvre heist and has recently earned notoriety as a minor social media personality. Authorities arrested him in New Orleans just six days later on October 19, 2022. He is alleged to have stolen the museum’s Apollo gallery during that theft.
The investigation into the imaginative caper subsequently uncovered key evidence connecting Abdoulaye N to the scene of the crime. They discovered his DNA on one display case, as well as on items dumped in the area. This is perhaps the most direct dot-connecting depiction of his involvement to date. According to Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau, Abdoulaye N. has « partially confessed » to the attack he committed.
Abdoulaye N has an extensive and violent criminal record. He has 15 previous convictions for drug possession and trafficking, driving without a license and endangering others. Surprisingly, it seems, he previously was actually convicted in 2014 for a robbery of a jeweller. His past has raised concerns about his suitability for a job as a security guard, although he previously worked at the Pompidou Centre.
Abdoulaye N isn’t just a violent criminal — he’s become famous as a TikTok star. He fervently promotes his obsession with motorcycles through the world wide web. His online videos feature him performing stunts in Paris and Aubervilliers, accompanied by the catchy slogan “Toujours plus près du bitume” (Always closer to the tarmac). This duality of being a public figure and a suspect in a high-profile crime has captivated the media.
His legal troubles don’t end with the Louvre incident. Abdoulaye N was first scheduled to go to trial for misdemeanor charges in October 2019. These charges stemmed from his having broken a mirror and from scratching up a prison cell door. That trial was recently delayed because of “media coverage and events that transpired recently.”
Read more from Forthcoming deputy editor and Abdoulaye N’s lawyer, Maxime Cavaillé, on why due process matters in this case.
“We must ensure respect of the presumption of innocence.” – Maxime Cavaillé
As federal investigators look into the circumstances surrounding Abdoulaye N’s arrest, the impact of this case reaches far beyond this specific incident. The Louvre heist has raised questions about security measures at great cultural institutions in France. Abdoulaye N Former Guard Abdoulaye panicked. This leads to an even broader issue of how a person with such a criminal background is allowed anywhere near sensitive spaces in museums.