Five additional individuals have been apprehended by the authorities in connection with the theft of crown jewels from the Louvre Museum. Despite these arrests, the valuable treasures are still missing.
According to Prosecutor Laure Beccuau, law enforcement conducted operations in Paris and its environs to capture the five suspects on Wednesday evening. The identities of these individuals have not been disclosed at this time.
It is believed that one of the five detainees was part of the group of robbers that carried out the brazen heist at the Louvre on October 19. Two other alleged accomplices were arrested earlier and have already faced charges related to the crime. These individuals reportedly confessed to their involvement.
Despite the ongoing investigation, the stolen jewels have yet to be recovered. Prosecutor Beccuau stated, “Search efforts conducted last night and into the early hours did not lead to the recovery of the stolen items.”
The thieves managed to steal the jewels, valued at approximately £78 million, in less than eight minutes. Using power tools, they forcibly opened a window, accessed the display cases, and absconded with eight pieces of the French crown jewels.
One of the suspects, a 34-year-old Algerian national residing in France since 2010, was apprehended at Charles de Gaulle airport while attempting to depart for Algeria without a return ticket.
Another individual, aged 39, was arrested at his residence in Aubervilliers. Known to the authorities for prior thefts, his DNA was found at the crime scene on one of the glass cases and on items left behind by the perpetrators.
Surveillance footage indicates the involvement of at least four criminals. The group arrived in a truck equipped with a lift, which aided two of them in accessing the museum through a window.
The criminals departed the scene on two scooters along the Seine River towards eastern Paris, where additional vehicles were parked. Prosecutor Beccuau emphasized that there is no evidence to suggest collusion with museum staff.
In a public appeal, Beccuau urged those in possession of the stolen jewels to return them, stating, “These jewels are essentially unsellable, and any attempt to trade them would constitute the concealment of stolen property. There is still an opportunity to relinquish them voluntarily.”