In a significant development in the high-profile Louvre jewel theft, French police have apprehended five additional individuals. Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau announced on Thursday that one of these new suspects is believed to have been present at the scene of the audacious crime. The other four are thought to possess valuable information regarding how the events unfolded.
The latest arrests took place on Wednesday evening during coordinated operations across the wider Paris region. Despite these arrests, the stolen jewels, part of France’s priceless crown collection, have yet to be recovered.
The initial break-in occurred over a week ago when two thieves gained entry to the Louvre’s second-floor Apollo Gallery by cutting through a window with disc grinders. They made off with more than $100 million worth of exquisite gems before making their escape on high-powered motor scooters, assisted by two accomplices.
Just four days prior to these new detentions, two other suspects were taken into custody, one of whom was intercepted at Charles de Gaulle airport while allegedly attempting to flee to Algeria. These two men have since been formally charged with organized gang theft and criminal conspiracy. They are accused of using a truck-mounted electric ladder to reach the gallery’s balcony from an exterior road, breaching the display cases, and then facilitating the escape via scooters.
Ms. Beccuau revealed that a team of approximately 100 investigators has been employing a range of sophisticated techniques to trace the culprits. The thieves managed to evade capture by mere seconds, escaping less than a minute before police and security personnel arrived on site.
“The investigation starts with the DNA traces, the fingerprints, everything that can be found at the scene,” she explained. “From there, we utilize video surveillance, analyze phone data, and examine other objects discovered during the searches. Step by step, the puzzle is being assembled, and the net is tightening around all those involved.”
Ségolène Le Stradic also contributed to this report from Paris.