Police probe new video showing jewel thieves escaping

PARIS — Investigators tracking the gang behind the Louvre jewel heist found traces of DNA samples in a helmet and gloves and learned of a new video showing the thieves escaped from the museum, prosecutors confirmed to NBC News on Thursday.

Paris prosecutors said it was unclear whether the DNA belonged to the suspects who fled with eight jewels from the world’s most visited museum in Sunday’s broad daylight theft that lasted just four minutes.

The group used power tools to smash windows, threatened guards and fled on scooters, leaving behind a trail of clues, including Empress Eugenie’s crown, which they dropped during their escape.

The thieves nonetheless took jewelry worth an estimated 88 million euros ($102.63 million), prosecutors said. A hundred investigators are now racing against time to find them before the thieves melt down the jewels to resell them.

The prosecutor’s office confirmed to NBC News that it was aware of the video released overnight, showing the thieves fleeing the museum by a forklift positioned on a truck. This is one of several elements of the investigation, the office said, declining further comment.

Two men, one wearing a yellow vest and black mask, and a second in all black and a motorcycle helmet, can be seen in the video descending quickly in the elevator located at the side of the museum.

Filmed by a member of the public, at one point someone on what looks like a walkie-talkie can be heard saying in French: “It looks like the individuals are on scooters. They’re going away, they’re going away.”

Investigators previously confirmed the gang fled on scooters from the museum, which reopened on Wednesday, although the Apollo gallery from where the jewelry was taken remains closed.

Videos from around 4,500 cameras were available to the police, “in addition to some 38,000 interconnected cameras”, Paris authorities said in a statement on Thursday.

Laurence des Cars, director of the Louvre, told senators on Wednesday that cameras failed to detect the thieves in time to prevent their daring heist.

“We did not detect the arrival of the thieves early enough,” Des Car said, according to Reuters, attributing this to the fact that there were not enough cameras outside to monitor the museum’s perimeter.

She added that she had offered her resignation, but it was refused by Culture Minister Rachida Dati.

Zacharie Petit reported from Paris and Henry Austin from London.