Abdoulaye N., 39, the key suspect in the October 19 theft of the Crown Jewels at the Louvre, does not fit the typical profile of a high-stakes burglar.
Already known to police for minor but aggravated thefts, among them a 2014 jewelry store robbery in Barbès that earned him a three-year prison sentence, he reportedly has 15 entries on his criminal record, including drug possession and trafficking, according to Le Parisien.
Since the late 2000s, he has also built a social media presence under the pseudonym “Doudou Cross Bitume.” He posts videos of acrobatic motocross stunts across the Paris region and street workout sessions, promoting himself with the slogan “Always Closer to the Asphalt.”
On TikTok (under the handle DOUDOU CROSS BITUME AUBER 93) and Instagram (doudoucross6), he calls himself “THE LEGEND” of CROSS BITUME 93 AUBERVILLIERS. His Instagram account, with 18 posts and 201 followers, ties his persona to both sport and his hometown of Aubervilliers (Seine-Saint-Denis). He also maintains profiles on Dailymotion and YouTube.
Troubling Amateurism
Arrested on October 25 in Aubervilliers, Abdoulaye N. was charged and placed in pretrial detention after being identified through DNA collected from a broken display case and items left behind at the Louvre. The three other suspects were also traced through DNA: a couple found in the lift basket used during the burglary and another man on one of the getaway scooters. The suspects’ amateurish approach stands in stark contrast to the scale of the heist, placing them at the center of intense judicial scrutiny.
Even more striking are the statements from Abdoulaye and his alleged accomplice, Ayed G. According to Le Parisien, he claimed he did not realize he was robbing the Louvre, while Ayed said he thought he was breaking into an empty, closed building on a Sunday. Both insisted they were acting on someone else’s orders but refused to reveal any names, hinting at the possible involvement of an overseas mastermind.
Their amateurish approach raises the possibility of a larger network behind the theft, whether an organized crime group or other informal criminal circles.
“These profiles don’t correspond to what we usually associate with the upper echelons of organized crime,” said Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau. “Today, relatively unknown figures in organized crime are quickly moving into extremely serious offenses.”
So far, searches conducted during the investigation have not recovered the stolen jewels. The Central Office for Combating the Trafficking of Cultural Goods (OCBC) is examining all potential resale markets. Prosecutors suggested the jewels may be used as “laundering goods or bargaining chips within organized crime,” effectively serving as a “currency of exchange.”
Meanwhile, since the news broke, “Doudou’s” social media accounts have been flooded with mocking comments. Users ask, “What did you do with the Crown Jewels?” or “Give back the jewels,” while others post, “He’s hot, the robber” or “You must have pulled off something huge at the Louvre.”
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