🔗 Share this article

A further quartet of persons have been detained as part of the ongoing investigation into the recent theft of priceless jewelry at the Louvre Museum, according to the Paris prosecutor's office.

Details of the Latest Detentions

A pair of males, in their late thirties, and a duo of females, 31 and 40 years of age, faced apprehension earlier this week. Each hails from the Paris region.

Included in this group is believed to be the remaining individual of a four-man gang that reportedly executed the daytime theft, per media sources in France. The other three alleged robbers have already been arrested and indicted, officials say.

Police now have as much as 96 hours to question them. Zero evidence has so far been found of the stolen jewels - worth an estimated 88 million euros (76 million pounds; 102 million dollars) - which disappeared on the nineteenth of October.

Prior Charges and Denials

Four people have previously faced charges over the heist - three men and a woman, who similarly reside within the greater Paris.

A 38-year-old woman was indicted in recent weeks with complicity in organised theft and criminal conspiracy with a view to committing a crime.

Additionally, a 37-year-old male, was indicted for robbery and illegal conspiracy.

These two suspects, who remain unnamed in public records, have rejected all accusations.

The Method of the Robbery Took Place

The heist happened when the team of four individuals used a stolen vehicle-mounted mechanical lift to gain access to the Galerie d'Apollon (Gallery of Apollo) via a balcony close to the River Seine.

The men used a circular saw to break into exhibition cases which held the precious items.

The thieves were inside for four minutes and fled the scene on two motor scooters stationed outside at 09:38 in the morning, before transferring to automobiles.

A single pilfered object - a royal crown - was dropped during the escape but eight other items of jewelry - including an emerald-and-diamond necklace that Emperor Napoleon presented to his second wife, Marie-Louise of Austria - were appropriated.

Protective Failures and Fallout

Officials have revealed that the robbery was executed by minor lawbreakers as opposed to organised crime professionals.

Shortly after the theft, it was disclosed by the museum's director that the single monitoring device monitoring the Galerie d'Apollon was directed away from the balcony scaled by the robbers to commit the burglary.

The museum's president has subsequently acknowledged that the museum had failed in its obligations, but rejected claims that security was neglected - stating that from the time she took office in the year 2021 she had been consistently alerting of the requirement for additional resources.

Strengthened Protective Steps

Following the event, protective protocols have been strengthened for French heritage sites.

The Louvre has transferred some of its most precious jewels to the Bank of France following the heist.