Newsletters
French police have arrested five additional suspects linked to the Louvre Museum heist in which jewels worth $102 million were stolen from the Apollo Gallery, according to reports by French radio station RTL.
The coordinated arrests took place across several parts of Paris on Wednesday evening. RTL, citing judicial sources, said the suspects were detained simultaneously as part of the expanding investigation.
French TV station BFM reported earlier on Thursday that one of the individuals is believed to have been present at the crime scene during the robbery.
These arrests follow the weekend detention of two men accused of breaking into the museum through an upstairs window and stealing the jewels. Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau said the pair had “partially admitted” their involvement during questioning.
Beccuau told reporters she does not rule out a larger network behind the robbery, including a possible coordinator who could have ordered the theft. The jewels remain missing.
French authorities have not commented further, and the Paris prosecutor’s office did not respond to requests for clarification on Thursday.
On Oct. 19, a group of thieves carried out a fast, highly organized break-in at the Louvre, entering the building via an upper-floor window after scaling the facade with a furniture lift equipped with an extendable ladder.
According to French and U.K. media, the burglars used chainsaws to open a window, smashed display cases in the Galerie d’Apollon, and took nine pieces from the Napoleon and Empress Josephine collection, dropping one during their escape.
The operation lasted around seven minutes before the thieves fled on motorbikes through central Paris.
Two of the initial suspects were arrested on Saturday. One was detained at Charles de Gaulle Airport with a one-way ticket to Algeria, while the other was reportedly preparing to flee to Mali. Both have been charged with organized robbery in a gang and face up to 15 years in prison.
Investigation sources told The Telegraph that digital forensic evidence suggests possible inside assistance from someone on the museum’s security staff. Sensitive security information may have been passed to the group, helping them identify the breach point.
Museum director Laurence des Cars has acknowledged serious security failures, including aging perimeter cameras and incomplete external surveillance coverage.
Dutch art detective Arthur Brand and jewelry specialists have warned that the stolen items may already be broken up, melted down, or sold on the black market.
The gems and gold could be worth as much as £10 million (around $13.2 million) when dismantled, according to experts cited by the BBC.
Large, flawless stones from the collection may have already been removed from their mountings. Some items, such as Empress Eugénie’s crown, were considered “too hot to handle,” which may explain why two pieces were abandoned during the escape.
Police hope forensic evidence left at the scene, including clothing and equipment, may help identify more suspects. A specialist French police unit known for solving major robberies is leading the search.
The Louvre remains closed during the investigation.
2 min read
