French police have arrested four additional suspects in connection with the spectacular art heist that took place at the Louvre Museum in Paris on October 19. The Paris prosecutor's office announced that the arrests include two men aged 38 and 39, as well as two women aged 31 and 40.
According to reports from French newspapers Le Parisien and Le Figaro, citing investigators, one of the newly arrested individuals is believed to be the fourth person directly involved in the museum break-in. This brings the total number of main perpetrators identified in the case to four, matching the number of thieves seen in the surveillance footage from the night of the heist.
Since the brazen robbery at the world-famous museum, investigators had already apprehended three suspects believed to be directly involved in the crime. Several alleged accomplices have also been taken into custody throughout the investigation. However, despite these arrests, most of the stolen artifacts remain missing, with no trace of the valuable items recovered.
The newly arrested suspect has a criminal record and is reportedly connected to the three other alleged main perpetrators already held in custody, according to Le Parisien. This connection suggests the operation was carried out by an organized criminal network with established relationships among its members.
The daring heist made international headlines due to its audacious execution and the high value of the stolen items. The masked criminals parked a truck equipped with a hydraulic lift platform next to the museum building. While two of the perpetrators waited on motor scooters in the street as lookouts, the other two used the lift to reach a first-floor balcony and gained entry to the museum through a window.
Once inside the museum, the thieves broke into two display cases containing priceless historical jewelry. The entire operation inside the exhibition hall lasted less than four minutes, demonstrating the precision and planning that went into the heist. The criminals then fled the scene as quickly as they had arrived.
The thieves escaped on motor scooters with eight precious pieces of jewelry that once belonged to former queens and empresses of France. The stolen items included diamond-encrusted tiaras, necklaces, earrings, and brooches, all adorned with precious stones. Among the most valuable pieces taken was the crown of Empress Eugénie (1826-1920), which was decorated with emeralds and hundreds of diamonds.
However, the ornate crown was later found damaged near the Louvre, apparently dropped by the thieves during their hasty escape. Despite recovering this significant piece, the majority of the stolen collection remains unaccounted for. The museum's curator has estimated the total value of the stolen artifacts at 88 million euros, making this one of the most expensive art thefts in recent history.
