French authorities have seized four more people in connection with the October robbery of the Louvre in which thieves made off with some of the country’s crown jewels.
The new detainees are all Parisian, including a 38-year-old man and a 39-year-old man, as well as a 31-year-old woman and a 40-year-old woman, a Paris prosecutor said.
The four come in addition to the four people already charged in the case: three men and one woman. They’re currently charged with organized theft and criminal conspiracy to commit crimes and offenses.
Investigators will question the suspects.
The stunning heist took place in broad daylight as the thieves used power tools and a truck to gain access to the museum’s Apollo gallery through a window. Once inside, they nabbed jewels worn by French royalty, which are worth millions of dollars. On the way out, the thieves dropped Empress Eugénie’s crown, providing clues to investigators.
Four people are suspected of carrying out the robbery. French outlet BFMTV reported that one of the suspects is the alleged fourth member of the gang that carried out the heist. Three of the suspects detained in October have already been charged.
The Louvre had been urged to upgrade its security systems before the heist. The process has been delayed and is expected to be completed by 2032. The museum does expect to install around 100 new security cameras by the end of 2026.
The Ministry of Culture confirmed to NBC News that the stolen jewels included a necklace and a pair of earrings from the Marie-Louise collection; a necklace, earrings, and a tiara from the Queen Marie-Amélie and Queen Hortense collection; and a brooch, bodice bow, and a tiara from the Empress Eugénie collection.
SUSPECTS ARRESTED IN THEFT OF LOUVRE CROWN JEWELS
The jewels, worth an estimated $102 million, are still missing. Experts suspect that the jewels have been taken apart and sold in pieces because they are too recognizable.
“Nobody wants to touch a piece so hot,” Dutch art detective Arthur Brand told the BBC. “You cannot show it to your friends, you cannot leave it to your children, you cannot sell it.”