Another Four Arrests Made in Connection to Louvre Jewellery Robbery
A further quartet of suspects were taken into custody in the context of the active inquiry into the previous theft of priceless jewellery at the Paris Louvre, according to the French judicial authorities.
Details of the Latest Apprehensions
Two men, 38 and 39 years old, and two female individuals, 31 and 40 years of age, faced apprehension earlier this week. All are from the greater Paris area.
Among them is considered as the remaining individual of a group of four that is said to have performed the broad-daylight robbery, per French media. The other three accused perpetrators are already in custody and formally accused, officials say.
Investigators currently possess a maximum of four days to interrogate the suspects. Not a single clue has so far been found of the pilfered gems - appraised at 88 million euros (76 million pounds; 102 million dollars) - which disappeared on the nineteenth of October.
Previous Accusations and Rejections
Four individuals have already been charged over the heist - three male and one female suspects, who are likewise residents of the greater Paris.
A woman in her late thirties was indicted in recent weeks with involvement in organized robbery and conspiracy to commit crimes with a view to committing a crime.
Separately, a man, aged 37, was charged with stealing and conspiratorial activities.
These two suspects, who remain unnamed in public records, have denied any involvement.
The Way the Theft Was Executed
The robbery occurred when the group of four men employed a hijacked vehicle with a mounted lift to enter the Galerie d'Apollon (Gallery of Apollo) through a terrace near the Seine River.
The men used a disc cutter to crack open showcases containing the jewelry.
The perpetrators stayed inside for four minutes and executed their getaway on a pair of scooters positioned externally at 09:38, before switching to cars.
One of the stolen items - a crown - was lost during the getaway but eight other items of jewelry - including an emerald-and-diamond necklace that Emperor Napoleon presented to his second wife, Empress Marie-Louise - were taken.
Protective Shortcomings and Aftermath
Authorities have indicated that the theft was performed by small-time offenders as opposed to experienced crime syndicates.
Shortly after the theft, it was announced by the Louvre leadership that the single monitoring device watching the Apollo Gallery was directed away from the balcony scaled by the robbers to commit the burglary.
Louvre leadership has since admitted that the institution had fallen short in its responsibilities, but disputed allegations of security being ignored - saying that from the beginning of her tenure in the year 2021 she had been warning constantly of the need for more investment.
Strengthened Protective Steps
Since the incident, safeguarding procedures have been tightened around France's cultural institutions.
The Louvre has transferred a selection of its most valuable gems to the Bank of France following the heist.