Louvre Heist Update: Five More Arrests Made While $102 Million Crown Jewels Remain Missing

One of those charged is an Algerian national who has been residing in France since 2010. (File)

Paris:

Five additional individuals have been apprehended in connection with the crown jewels theft from the Louvre Museum, but the valuable treasures remain unrecovered, according to the Paris prosecutor's Thursday announcement.

The five suspects were detained during separate police operations conducted late Wednesday night across Paris and surrounding areas, including the Seine-Saint-Denis region, Prosecutor Laure Beccuau informed RTL radio. She withheld their identities and other specific details.

One suspect is believed to be part of the four-person team that executed the daylight robbery of the Louvre's Apollo Gallery on October 19. Two other members of this team were arrested Sunday and subsequently charged Wednesday with preliminary counts of criminal conspiracy and organized gang theft. According to the prosecutor, both partially admitted their involvement in the heist.

"Despite searches conducted last night and overnight, we were unable to locate the stolen goods," Beccuau stated.

The thieves required less than eight minutes to steal jewels valued at 88 million euros ($102 million) in a shocking heist that captured global attention. The perpetrators forced open a window, used power tools to cut into display cases, and escaped with eight pieces from the French crown jewels collection.

French authorities have acknowledged significant vulnerabilities in the Louvre's security systems, transforming this brazen daylight theft into a national examination of how France safeguards its cultural treasures.

One of the charged individuals is a 34-year-old Algerian national who has lived in France since 2010, Beccuau revealed. He was arrested at Charles de Gaulle airport as he attempted to board a one-way flight to Algeria. Residing in Aubervilliers, a northern Paris suburb, he was previously known to police primarily for traffic violations. His DNA was discovered on one of the scooters used by the robbers to flee the scene.

The other suspect, aged 39, was apprehended at his residence in Aubervilliers. This man had prior theft convictions, and investigators found his DNA on one of the jewel display cases and on items abandoned by the thieves.

Surveillance footage confirmed the involvement of at least four individuals, according to Beccuau.

Four suspects arrived in a truck equipped with a freight lift, which two utilized to access the museum window. All four departed on two motor scooters along the Seine River toward eastern Paris, where they had additional vehicles parked.

Beccuau emphasized that there is no evidence suggesting the robbers had accomplices among the museum staff.

She issued an appeal Wednesday night to those currently possessing the jewels: "These jewels are now, of course, unsellable... Anyone who purchases them would be guilty of concealment of stolen goods. There's still time to return them."

Under French law, investigation information is supposed to remain confidential to protect police operations and ensure victims' privacy rights. Only the prosecutor is authorized to publicly discuss case developments, and violators may face prosecution. Police and investigators are prohibited from disclosing information about arrests or suspects without prosecutorial approval, although in high-profile cases, police union officials occasionally leak partial details.