Police apprehended five additional suspects in connection to the pilfering of valuables valued at $143 million Canadian from the Apollo gallery at the Louvre museum, as disclosed by the Paris prosecutor on Thursday. The prosecutor expressed optimism that the recent arrests would aid in locating the stolen jewels.
The theft, carried out by four masked thieves during the museum’s opening hours on October 19, highlighted security vulnerabilities at the renowned institution, leading to widespread shock and introspection in France. Laure Beccuau, the Paris prosecutor, announced that the latest suspects were taken into custody in synchronized operations in Paris and its northern suburbs the previous evening. While one suspect was identified through DNA evidence at the crime scene, their specific roles in the theft remained unclear.
Progress in the investigation was reported as phones and other items seized from the suspects enabled investigators to analyze encrypted communications. Suspects under investigation for criminal conspiracy in France can be detained for up to 96 hours before formal charges are brought. Although details about suspects are typically not disclosed during ongoing investigations, prosecutors have the authority to provide updates and hold news conferences in high-profile cases.
Beccuau emphasized the pursuit of the stolen artifacts by a specialized police unit focused on combating the trafficking of cultural items. The missing jewels, which include royal necklaces, tiaras, and earrings adorned with thousands of diamonds, rubies, and emeralds, pose challenges for resale due to their distinctive nature. Experts warned that the jewels might be dismantled, with stones recut and gold melted down to obscure their origins.
Efforts to recover the stolen treasures were deemed more challenging than identifying the perpetrators. Beccuau urged individuals in possession of the stolen items to surrender them, emphasizing that the courts would consider the absence of harm caused by the burglary. Following the heist, the Louvre museum bolstered its security measures by relocating some of its most precious jewels to the Bank of France under tight police security.
While four individuals were directly involved in the robbery, Beccuau did not discount the potential involvement of a broader network orchestrating the crime. Before the recent arrests, two men detained over the weekend had confessed partially to their roles in the heist. One of them, a 34-year-old Algerian national residing in France, was intercepted attempting to flee the country, prompting authorities to expedite arrest operations. The other man, aged 39, was already under judicial supervision for aggravated theft and resided in Aubervilliers, a neighborhood in northern Paris.