Four more arrested in connection with Louvre heist, Paris prosecutor says

Four other people were arrested on Tuesday in connection with the robbery of the Louvre museum on October 19, the Paris prosecutor’s office announced.

All four, two men aged 38 and 39 and two women aged 31 and 40, are from the Paris region, said Laure Beccuau, city prosecutor, in a press release.

With these new arrests, a total of eight people now face charges in connection with this case. Three men and a woman had already been charged with organized theft and criminal conspiracy to commit crimes, according to the press release.

Last month, the group allegedly fooled security systems and used power tools in broad daylight to steal millions of jewels from the famous Paris museum. They ultimately walked away with priceless jewelry once worn by French queens and empresses, officials told NBC News.

The Ministry of Culture confirmed that the stolen jewelry included a necklace and a pair of earrings from the Marie-Louise collection; a necklace, earrings and a tiara from the Reine Marie-Amélie and Reine Hortense collection; and a brooch, corsage bow and tiara from the collection of Empress Eugénie.

The stolen jewelry is estimated at $102 million and has not yet been handed over to Parisian authorities.

At least two of the stolen items, including Empress Eugenie’s crown, were apparently left behind on the way out, part of a trail of clues about the group suspected of the theft.

The thieves, whom French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez described as “experienced”, used electrical tools, including a record cutter, to break into the Apollon Gallery through a window, the prosecution said. A truck-mounted crane was outside the window and was brought in to assist in the heist, which took place at 9:30 a.m., as the museum opened its doors.

The heist lasted only about seven minutes and caused the museum to close for the day — a rarity, officials said.

Before the heist, the Louvre had been invited by the French Court of Auditors to accelerate the modernization of its security systems. The process has been delayed and is expected to be completed by 2032, according to a report.