French investigators have made significant progress in the investigation into last month's spectacular crown jewels heist at the Louvre museum in Paris, arresting four additional suspects in connection with the €88 million robbery.
The Latest Arrests
According to Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau, authorities have detained two men aged 38 and 39, and two women aged 31 and 40, all residents of the Paris region. French media reports indicate these arrests include the alleged final member of the four-person gang responsible for breaking into the world's most visited museum.
Le Parisien newspaper, citing police sources, revealed that the suspected robber was apprehended on Tuesday morning by officers from the anti-gang squad (BRB) and is currently being held at police headquarters. The suspect faces serious charges of organised robbery and criminal conspiracy.
Criminal Connections and Previous Arrests
The latest suspect had a known criminal record and was linked to three alleged gang members already in custody, all of whom have connections to the Paris suburb of Aubervilliers. The investigation has revealed a network of individuals with established criminal backgrounds working together to execute one of the most audacious museum thefts in recent French history.
Previous arrests included Ayed G and Abdoulaye N, identified as the pair who entered the museum, followed by Slimane K, suspected of driving one of the two scooters used in the escape. The recent arrests are believed to include the second driver, completing the four-person robbery team, plus additional individuals accused of assisting the gang.
The Brazen Daylight Robbery
The heist, which occurred on 19 October, was executed with military precision during daylight hours. The thieves parked a stolen truck outside the museum and used an extendable ladder and freight lift to access the first-floor window of the Apollo gallery.
In a robbery that lasted less than seven minutes from start to finish, two individuals smashed an unsecured window and two glass display cases before descending in the lift and fleeing on motorbikes driven by their accomplices. The gang made off with eight priceless pieces, including treasures with significant historical importance.
Among the stolen items were an emerald and diamond necklace that Napoleon Bonaparte gave to his second wife, Marie Louise, and a magnificent diadem set with 212 pearls and nearly 2,000 diamonds that once belonged to the wife of Napoleon III.
Investigation Progress and Security Concerns
Despite the arrests, none of the estimated €88 million worth of crown jewels have been recovered. The investigation benefited from DNA analysis of items left at the scene, including gloves, a hi-vis vest and disc cutters, which led to the initial arrests a week after the robbery.
France's state auditor has described the theft as "a deafening wake-up call" regarding the "wholly inadequate pace" of security upgrades at the Louvre. An administrative inquiry highlighted a "chronic, structural underestimation of the risk of intrusion and theft" and "inadequate security" measures at the museum.
The Louvre's management has accepted "most" of the auditor's conclusions, acknowledging the need for significant improvements to protect its priceless collections from future security breaches.
