Five new suspects arrested over Louvre heist – but still no sign of looted jewels
By Saskya Vandoorne, CNN
Paris (CNN) — Five new suspects have been arrested over the theft of France’s crown jewels from the Louvre museum, the Paris prosecutor announced Thursday, bringing the total number of arrests over the stunning heist to seven.
Of the five new suspects, one is believed to have been part of the four-man gang who carried out the heist, Laure Beccuau, the prosecutor, told French radio RTL.
This means that, following an 11-day manhunt, police have now arrested three of the four men they believe participated directly in the heist, disguising themselves as construction workers to steal artifacts dating to the Napoleonic era.
Beccuau said the investigation had yet to uncover any of the looted treasures, estimated to be worth more than $100 million. Experts say the jewels – among them an emerald necklace set with more than 1,000 diamonds gifted by Napoleon to his second wife – were likely to be dismantled for their raw materials.
The latest arrests took place Wednesday night in Paris and in the surrounding region, including in Seine-Saint-Denis.
The first two suspects were arrested last weekend, just as one was reported to be trying to flee to Algeria from the Charles de Gaulle airport near Paris.
Those two suspects were placed under formal investigation for organized theft and criminal conspiracy. The pair have “partially admitted” their involvement following 96 hours of questioning, Beccuau announced late Wednesday.
The first suspect, 34, is of Algerian nationality. He had prior records for traffic-related offenses and was identified through DNA recovered from one of the scooters.
The second suspect, 39, is an illegal taxi driver and delivery driver born in Aubervilliers, a suburb of Paris. He was previously known to police for aggravated theft. His DNA was found on glass that had been broken from one of the display cases, according to prosecutors.
Police did not immediately provide details about the five new suspects.
The heist has captured the world’s attention and raised uncomfortable questions about security arrangements at France’s most-visited museum. Laurence des Cars, the Louvre’s director, admitted to the French Senate that no security cameras were monitoring the second-floor balcony where the thieves broke into the Apollo Gallery using an angle grinder on October 19.
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CNN’s Lauren Kent contributed to this report.
