On Tuesday, prosecutors in Paris revealed that four additional suspects have been arrested in relation to the audacious theft of jewelry valued at $102 million from the Louvre back in October.
The detainees—a pair of men and women—are aged between 31 and 40 and hail from the Paris area, according to Laure Becuau, the prosecutor overseeing this case.
Details regarding their specific involvement in the theft, which occurred on October 19, weren’t disclosed.
Police have the authority to hold suspects for up to 96 hours for questioning.
French media reported that one of the apprehended suspects is a 39-year-old man already on law enforcement’s radar. He is thought to be a fourth member of the team believed to have executed this bold daytime heist, and is from Aubervilliers, a suburb north of Paris that has connections to the other individuals arrested.
Previously, three other suspects—part of the so-called “commando” team—had been arrested and are facing preliminary charges related to organized theft and conspiracy.
Their DNA was reportedly found at the crime scene or on items linked to the robbery.
Among those detained in October, a woman is also facing conspiracy charges.
As of now, the stolen items have not been recovered.
The haul included a diamond and emerald necklace that Napoleon had gifted to Empress Marie-Louise, as well as jewels belonging to 19th-century queens Marie-Amélie and Hortense, and Empress Eugenie’s pearl and diamond tiara.
This heist has raised serious concerns about security at the Louvre, the most visited art museum in the world.
The thieves managed to break into the museum in less than eight minutes, using a freight elevator to access the windows of the building.
Surveillance footage captured the two men infiltrating the decorated Apollo Gallery, cutting through the jewelry display case with a disc cutter to grab the valuables, while two others on a scooter sped away with the stolen goods.
Interestingly enough, the imperial crown adorned with emeralds that belonged to Empress Eugenie, who was married to Napoleon III, contained over 1,300 diamonds and was later found outside the museum.
