The French Police arrested at least two suspects in connection with the audacious Louvre jewellery heist on Saturday evening amid dwindling hope of a recovery. Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau also confirmed that suspects had been arrested without divulging details. She revealed that one of the men had been preparing to leave the country from Roissy Airport when he was detained. It remains unclear whether any of the stolen jewellery had been recovered.
According to a report by Le Parisien newspaper, two suspects were arrested by the French police on Saturday evening. Sources told the publication that they were now being questioned. One of the two suspects was about to leave the country and was arrested at Charles de Gaulle airport at about 10 pm on Saturday. Another suspect was arrested later in the evening in the Seine-Saint-Denis suburb north of Paris.
Thieves took less than eight minutes last Sunday morning to steal jewels valued at 88 million euros ($102 million) from the world’s most-visited museum. French officials have described how the intruders used a basket lift to scale the façade of the museum before forcing open a window to enter. They had quickly smashed display cases and collected nine dazzling pieces from the Napoleon and Empress collection before making their exit. One of the stolen pieces was later found on the premises of the Louvre.
The shocking robbery took place during museum visiting hours with horrified tourists watching the crime unfold in real time. Reports citing surveillance footage indicate that the masked thieves had “calmly” entered the Apollo Gallery before breaking the glass displays in full view of bystanders. The entire crime unfolded within four minutes — with security staff quickly evacuating visitors and putting the museum under lockdown.
