Police have apprehended five additional individuals in connection with the theft of crown jewels from the Louvre Museum, but the stolen treasures have not yet been recovered. According to Prosecutor Laure Beccuau, law enforcement conducted operations in Paris and nearby areas to capture the suspects. The identities of these individuals have not been disclosed at this time.
One of the five suspects is believed to have been part of a four-person group that carried out the robbery at the Louvre in broad daylight on October 19. Two other alleged accomplices were arrested earlier and charged with criminal conspiracy and theft by an organized group. Both suspects reportedly confessed to their participation.
Despite the swift progress of the investigation, the missing jewels have not been located. Beccuau stated that recent searches failed to yield any results in recovering the stolen items.
The heist, which lasted less than eight minutes, resulted in the theft of jewels valued at approximately £78 million. The thieves broke into the museum by forcing open a window, using power tools to access display cases, and escaping with eight pieces of the French crown jewels.
Among those charged is a 34-year-old Algerian national who has resided in France since 2010. He was arrested at Charles de Gaulle airport while attempting to board a flight to Algeria without a return ticket. The individual, living in Aubervilliers, a suburb north of Paris, had a history of traffic offenses, with his DNA discovered on one of the getaway scooters.
Another suspect, aged 39, was arrested at his residence in Aubervilliers. Known to authorities for multiple thefts, his DNA was found on the glass cases housing the stolen jewels and on items left behind by the thieves.
Surveillance footage revealed the involvement of at least four culprits in the heist. The group arrived in a truck equipped with a lift, enabling two of them to access the museum’s window. They departed on two scooters along the Seine River towards eastern Paris, where additional vehicles were stationed. Beccuau emphasized that there is no evidence suggesting the robbers had inside help from museum staff.
Beccuau made an appeal to the perpetrators, stating that the stolen jewels are practically unsellable, and anyone attempting to buy them would be complicit in concealing stolen goods. She urged for the return of the jewels, emphasizing that there is still an opportunity to do so.
