By: The Trek News Desk
French authorities have made significant progress in the ongoing investigation into the audacious jewellery theft from Paris’s world-famous Louvre Museum. The Paris prosecutor’s office confirmed on Wednesday night that five additional suspects have been taken into custody in the Paris region, including the prime suspect believed to have played a key role in the heist.
The dramatic theft took place on October 19, when a group of four masked thieves managed to steal jewels worth €88 million (approximately £76 million / $102 million) from the Louvre’s renowned Galerie d’Apollo. The robbery occurred around 9:30 a.m. local time, just minutes after the museum opened to the public.
According to investigators, the robbers used a vehicle-mounted mechanical lift to reach a balcony overlooking the River Seine, from where they broke into the gallery. They then used a disc cutter to smash open display cases containing priceless royal jewels. The entire operation lasted barely four minutes before the suspects fled on two scooters, later switching vehicles and heading east out of the city.
DNA Evidence Strengthens Case
Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau revealed that DNA traces recovered from the crime scene match one of the recently arrested suspects. This finding strongly suggests that he was part of the original four-man team caught on CCTV footage during the theft. Beccuau also clarified that, so far, there is no evidence indicating an inside job or any involvement by museum staff.
Two other suspects had already been arrested last week, both men in their thirties with prior criminal records. One of them was detained at the airport while attempting to board a one-way flight to Algeria, while the other had reportedly made no plans to leave the country.
Security Tightened Across Cultural Institutions
In response to the heist, security measures have been significantly reinforced across France’s leading museums and cultural institutions. The Louvre has since moved several of its most valuable jewels to the Bank of France, where they are now stored 26 meters underground in a high-security vault.
The five newly detained suspects can be held for up to four days under French law before prosecutors decide whether to charge or release them.
A Wake-Up Call for Museum Security
The robbery executed with military precision and without any reported violence has raised serious concerns about the security infrastructure at one of the world’s most visited museums. Investigators suspect that the group responsible for the theft may be part of a larger organised crime network operating across Europe.
As the hunt for the missing jewels continues, the case has become a test of France’s ability to protect its cultural heritage from increasingly sophisticated criminal enterprises.
Source: News Agencies
