Police in France arrest 9 People in Louvre Ticket fraud
A group involved in a large-scale ticket fraud at the Louvre Museum in Paris has been apprehended.
According to local media outlets Le Parisien and France 24, local police arrested nine individuals on the in connection with suspicions of fake ticket sales and overbooking guided tours.
Among the suspects were two museum employees and two tour guides. They are reported to have primarily targeted Chinese tourists. Police, according to sources familiar with the matter, seized €957,000 in cash, around €486,000 deposited in bank accounts, and three vehicles.
The fraud is believed to have started in the summer of 2024. External guides, travel agencies, and museum ticket office staff were involved. Reports indicate the suspects recruited more tourists than the group viewing limit of 20 people, charged inflated prices above the standard fee, and pocketed the difference.
The Louvre Museum stated, “This operation was carried out following a report from the museum,” adding, “Based on the information obtained, the existence of a large-scale fraud organization is suspected.” Earlier, the museum reported to investigative authorities that “two Chinese guides repeatedly brought Chinese tourists to the museum and reused tickets multiple times at the ticket office.”
In June of last year, investigative agencies began probing the group on charges of organized fraud, money laundering, and document forgery. The Louvre Museum announced, “Ticket-related fraud is becoming more diverse. We will establish a systematic plan to prevent fraud.”
In October of last year, a theft of royal jewels from the Louvre Museum occurred. Four suspects were arrested in connection with the incident, but the stolen jewels have not been recovered. This case exposed flaws in the internal security system and led to partial strikes by employees due to growing dissatisfaction with management.