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To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Up Next Previous Page Next Page A former ‘motocross legend’ and bodybuilding social media star has been named as one of the suspects in the Louvre heist. Abdoulaye N, 39, nicknamed ‘Doudou Cross Bitume’, is thought to be part of the gang that stole £76,000,000 worth of items from the famous French gallery last week. He was arrested ten days after the heist, on October 29, and is facing charges of theft by an organised gang and criminal conspiracy. He is suspected of being one of two men who used a stolen cherry picker to enter the museum’s Apollo Gallery. This comes as French auditors have urged the museum to speed up its security modernisation plans as a priority. Abdoulaye has 15 previous convictions, including drug possession, driving without a license and resisting arrest (Picture: TikTok/Doudou Cross Bitume Auber 93/AFP via Getty Images) Abdoulaye’s DNA was reportedly found on one of the jewellery cases and an item left behind in the rush. The stolen jewels have not been recovered yet, with experts concerned they are long gone. Abdoulaye is known online as ‘The Motocross Legend’ and rose to fame in the late 2000s. Videos on YouTube and Dailymotion show him performing stunts and long rides from his home district, Aubervilliers, to central Paris landmarks. However, his social media accounts have been inactive since the end of September, stopping his videos focusing on street workouts and motorcycle lessons for local youths. According to local French media, Abdoulaye has 15 previous convictions, with his record reportedly including drug possession, driving without a license and resisting arrest. At the age of 16, he was detained for the first time. In 2015, he served a prison sentence for an armed robbery at a jewellery store in Paris’s Barbes district. After his time in prison, he worked for temporary agencies and as an unlicensed taxi driver. He faced another burglary investigation in 2019, but prosecutors dropped the theft charges. Abdoulaye gained a cult following online with videos of him doing reckless motocross bike rides through Paris (Picture: YouTube/haohuairen) One of his co-defendants in this case, Slimane K, is also one of the alleged accomplices and is suspected of being the getaway driver. Abdoulaye has had various short-term jobs, including warehouse worker and security guard. He is also in a long-term relationship and has children. Growing up, his father was an airport worker and had 23 children across three marriages. Apparently, Abdoulaye appeared overwhelmed by the case’s scale when he was questioned by the Paris Anti-Gang Brigade. Initially, he remained silent but then admitted to taking part in the robbery, claiming he had acted under orders of unidentified individuals, it was reported. Ayed G, his alleged accomplice, also referred to an unknown person as an unnamed foreign mastermind. Statements made by the two surprised the investigators, with one claiming he didn’t realise the building was the Louvre and the other saying he thought it was ‘closed and empty.’ Abdoulaye’s trial will take place in April, according to a court in Bobigny, north Paris. His lawyers said they have not been allowed to properly prepare for trial due to the high publicity of the case. Investigators are exploring possible links to organised crime or art trafficking rings because traces left at the scene suggest the arrested pair were low-level participants in a larger network. The thieves were in and out of the Louvre within minutes, using a cherry picker to gain access to the Apollo Gallery (Picture: Dimitar Dilkoff /AFP via Getty Images) In total, four suspects are in custody as part of the heist investigation that has shocked the world due to how easily and quickly the thieves did it. A report by French auditors criticised the museum for prioritising ‘visible and attractive operations at the expense of the maintenance and renovation of buildings and technical installations.’ Specifically, the Louvre’s safety and security systems were substandard, with the CCTV cameras facing the wrong way and the video surveillance password being ‘LOUVRE’. The estimated cost for security improvements is 83 million euros (£73 million). A previous plan to ramp up security kept getting delayed, with work set to start next year and finish in 2032 – but this is not soon enough. Last week, culture minister Rachida Dati acknowledged the ‘security gaps’ and said the Louvre will install street-side anti-ramming and anti-intrusion devices in the next two months. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk. For more stories like this, check our news page.
