The Paris prosecutor's office has announced the arrest of four additional suspects as the investigation into the recent spectacular jewellery heist at the Louvre Museum continues.
On Tuesday, law enforcement apprehended two men, aged 38 and 39, along with two women aged 31 and 40, all from the Paris region. Among these individuals, authorities believe to have captured the final member of the four-person gang involved in the bold theft.
Currently, the police have a 96-hour window to interrogate the arrested individuals. As of now, the €88 million worth of stolen jewellery, taken on October 19, has yet to be located.
This arrest follows the previous capture and charging of three suspects, one of whom is a 38-year-old woman charged with complicity in organized theft and criminal conspiracy. The other charged individual is a 37-year-old man facing similar accusations. Both defendants have maintained their innocence regarding the crime.
The Louvre heist was executed in broad daylight by a group who used a stolen vehicle-mounted lift to access the Galerie d'Apollon via a balcony. The thieves reportedly spent only four minutes inside, using a disc cutter to break into display cases. They managed to escape on scooters before transferring to waiting cars, leaving behind one crown that was dropped during the getaway.
Interestingly, it was revealed that the single security camera monitoring the Galerie d'Apollon was misaligned and did not capture the break-in. The museum's president has acknowledged a failure in security measures but asserts that necessary investments have been consistently communicated since taking office in 2021.
In response to this incident, security protocols at cultural institutions across France have been increased, with the Louvre moving its most prized jewels to the Bank of France for safekeeping.
