Authorities report that two individuals apprehended in relation to the Louvre robbery from two weeks prior have “partially acknowledged” their roles in the audacious crime.
The pair in detention are believed to be those who utilized power tools to breach the museum’s Apollon gallery and make off with items from the French crown jewels.
Valuables estimated at €88m (£76m; $102m) were stolen from the globe’s most visited museum on 19 October, as four thieves invaded the premises in broad daylight.
Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau mentioned that the jewels have yet to be retrieved, and that the group involved might consist of more individuals than the four captured on surveillance.
The two apprehended men, both in their thirties, have prior criminal backgrounds and were recognized through DNA evidence collected during the investigations, stated Beccuau.
One individual was taken into custody while attempting to board a one-way flight to Algeria, although Beccuau noted that the other did not intend to leave France, contrary to earlier press reports.
There is currently no evidence indicating that the theft was orchestrated from within, confirming that none of the accomplices were museum employees, she added.
Nonetheless, Beccuau indicated she was not dismissing the chance that additional suspects might be involved beyond the four identified on CCTV, including those waiting to receive the stolen items.
“I wish to remain optimistic that [the jewels] will be recovered and returned to the Louvre, and ultimately to the nation,” she expressed.
One crown, formerly owned by Empress Eugenie, spouse of Napoleon III, was abandoned by the thieves during their escape. Assessments of the damage to the crown are ongoing, Beccuau stated.
On the day the arrests occurred, the prosecutor condemned the “hasty disclosure” of details concerning the case, remarking that it obstructed efforts to locate the jewels and apprehend the culprits.
On the day of the robbery, the criminals arrived at 09:30 (08:30 GMT), shortly after the museum opened its doors to visitors, Beccuau reported at Wednesday’s briefing.
The suspects came equipped with a stolen vehicle-mounted mechanical lift to access the Galerie d’Apollon (Gallery of Apollo) through a balcony adjacent to the River Seine. They utilized a disc cutter to force open display cases containing the jewellery.
According to her, the thieves were inside for approximately four minutes, escaping on two scooters waiting outside at 09:38, before switching to vehicles and traveling east.
No one was threatened during the heist, she informed reporters.
In the aftermath, security protocols have been heightened across France’s cultural assets.
Following the robbery, the Louvre has relocated its most valuable jewels to the Bank of France. They will be securely stored in the Bank’s most protected vault, situated 26m (85ft) beneath the ground floor of its distinguished headquarters in central Paris.
