Police have apprehended five additional suspects in connection with the theft of priceless crown jewels from the renowned Louvre Museum. Despite the arrests, the stolen treasures have yet to be recovered.
According to Prosecutor Laure Beccuau, law enforcement conducted operations in Paris and its environs to capture the suspects on Wednesday. While the identities of the individuals remain undisclosed, one of them is believed to have participated in the brazen heist at the Louvre on October 19.
Two other suspects allegedly involved in the robbery were apprehended earlier and charged with criminal conspiracy and theft by an organized gang. Both individuals have reportedly confessed to their roles in the crime.
Despite the swift progress of the investigation, the missing jewels have not been located. Beccuau expressed disappointment that the searches conducted so far have not yielded any results in recovering the stolen items.
The thieves managed to steal the jewels, valued at around £78 million, in under eight minutes by breaking into the museum, cutting into display cases with power tools, and absconding with eight pieces of the French crown jewels.
One of the charged suspects, a 34-year-old Algerian national residing in France since 2010, was arrested at the airport while attempting to flee to Algeria without a return ticket. He had a history of traffic offenses and his DNA was found on a scooter used during the escape.
Another suspect, aged 39, was arrested at his residence in Aubervilliers and was known to the police for previous thefts. His DNA was found on the glass cases where the stolen jewels were housed and on items left behind by the perpetrators.
Surveillance footage indicated the involvement of at least four criminals who arrived in a truck with a lift, allowing two of them to access the museum through a window. The group later fled on scooters along the Seine River towards eastern Paris, where additional vehicles were parked.
Beccuau emphasized that there is no evidence suggesting inside help from museum staff and urged those in possession of the jewels to return them, highlighting that the stolen items are unsellable and anyone buying them would be complicit in concealing stolen goods.