Louvre heist suspects are local petty criminals, Paris prosecutor says
By Jack Guy, CNN
(CNN) — Four suspects in custody in relation to their alleged involvement in the spectacular heist at the Louvre museum last month are local petty criminals with no association with organized crime, according to investigators.
Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau said the quartet, comprising three men and one woman, were living in or around Seine-Saint-Denis, a suburb to the north of the French capital.
One of the men is a 37-year-old with 11 previous convictions, 10 of which were for robbery, Beccuau said in an interview on the FranceInfo radio station Sunday.
The man has “a varied criminal record but not one which would normally suggest involvement with organized crime,” she said.
Another of the suspects has 15 previous convictions, two of which are for robberies, Beccuau added.
The two men were also convicted over their involvement in the same robbery in Paris in 2015, she said.
One of the men is in a long-term relationship with the 38-year-old woman who has been detained.
“They are clearly local people,” said Beccuau.
Asked whether she found the profile of the suspects unusual, Beccuau replied: “I don’t find it that surprising. What we are seeing now is that people with no significant association with organized crime are progressing relatively quickly to committing extremely serious crimes.”
The thieves raided the Apollo Gallery on the Louvre’s upper floor, which houses the French crown jewels, on October 19.
They used a truck-mounted ladder to gain access to the gallery, one of the most ornate rooms in the museum, through a window.
They broke into two high-security display cases and made off with nine items, including a diamond and sapphire jewelry set worn by Queen Marie-Amélie and Queen Hortense.
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