Four more suspects were arrested on Tuesday for alleged crimes related to the Oct. 19 theft of eight pieces of royal jewels valued at $102 million from the Louvre in Paris, France. Photo by Mohammed Badra/EPA
Four more people have been arrested and are accused of participating in the Oct. 19 heist of valuable historical artifacts from the Louvre in Paris.
Two men who are ages 38 and 39 and two women who are ages 31and 40 were arrested on Tuesday for crimes related to the heist that resulted in the theft of valuable royal jewels, NBC News reported.
The four suspects are from the greater Paris region, and one is the last of four who entered the Louvre and stole the jewels, according to The Guardian.
Their arrests raise to eight the total number of people so far arrested and accused in the heist that occurred in broad daylight as four thieves posed as construction workers and used a lift to access an elevated first-floor window.
They used power tools to cut through the window to access the Louvre’s Apollo gallery and smashed glass display cases to steal eight pieces of jewelry valued at $102 million.
They then descended a lift and fled on scooters, although one dropped a crown that was recovered in the street. None of the stolen pieces has been recovered, aside from the dropped crown.
Among the eight pieces that were stolen is a diamond and emerald necklace that Napoleon Bonaparte gave to his Marie Louise, who was his second wife.
Another item is a tiara that contained nearly 2,000 diamonds and 212 pearls and once was owned by the wife of Napoleon III.
All eight suspects are connected via the Aubervilliers suburb of Paris, French media reported.
DNA evidence acquired from gloves, a high-visibility vest and disc cutters led to the arrest of two a week after the heist and who are identified as Abdoulaye N and Ayed G.
A third suspect, Slimane K, was arrested several days later and is accused of operating one of the two scooters used to flee the crime scene.
One of the two men arrested on Tuesday is suspected of operating the other scooter and being the fourth member of the heist team.
A post-heist audit revealed significant flaws in the security system used at the Louvre.
