French police have arrested five more suspects in the daring €88 million robbery at the Louvre Museum, Paris public prosecutor Laure Beccuau said on Thursday.
The arrests happened Wednesday night across the Paris area and include a main suspect believed to be part of the four-man team that carried out the daylight theft on 19 October. Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau confirmed the arrests on Thursday, saying one suspect was identified through DNA traces found at the crime scene. The coordinated police raids took place across the Paris area late Wednesday night.
Earlier, two of the suspects had already “partially confessed” to taking part, according to AFP. One was caught at Charles de Gaulle Airport while trying to fly to Algeria, and the other was arrested at his home in Aubervilliers. Both have prior criminal records, and DNA from one was found on the display case glass. These men are believed to be the ones who used power tools to break into the museum’s Galerie d’Apollon, home to France’s crown jewels. They stole eight priceless items, including the Marie-Louise necklace, diamond earrings, and a gold tiara once worn by Empress Eugénie, wife of Napoleon III.
The thieves completed the robbery in just four minutes. They arrived around 9:30 a.m., moments after the museum opened, and used a stolen vehicle lift to reach a balcony overlooking the River Seine. They then cut open glass display cases with a disc cutter before escaping on scooters waiting outside, later switching to cars heading east. Thankfully, no one was hurt.
Authorities believe the heist involved a bigger network beyond the four thieves seen on CCTV. The newly arrested suspects can be held for up to four days before facing charges or being released.
Prosecutors confirmed that museum staff were not involved, saying there is “no evidence of an inside job.”
After the theft, one of the most shocking in French history security at museums and cultural sites across France has been tightened. The Louvre has moved some of its most valuable jewels to a secure vault 26 meters underground at the Bank of France. However, the stolen treasures are still missing.
