Paris authorities have apprehended an additional five individuals connected to the looting of valuable treasures valued at $143 million Cdn from the Apollo gallery at the Louvre museum. The theft, orchestrated by four masked perpetrators during regular museum hours on October 19, underscored security vulnerabilities at the museum and triggered widespread astonishment globally. Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau disclosed that the recent arrests were made through coordinated operations in Paris and its northern suburbs the previous evening. While one suspect was identified using DNA evidence from the crime scene, their direct involvement remains unclear.
The investigation has gained traction as items recovered from the suspects have provided access to encrypted communications, allowing for further scrutiny. In France, suspects under investigation for criminal collusion can be detained for up to 96 hours before formal charges are brought forth. Authorities normally withhold suspect information during ongoing investigations, but high-profile cases permit prosecutors to divulge additional details and hold press conferences to announce developments.
Beccuau emphasized the pursuit of the stolen artifacts by a specialized police unit focused on cultural artifact trafficking. The jewels could potentially be used for money laundering or as leverage within organized crime networks. Recovering the jewels poses a greater challenge than identifying the thieves, cautioned experts in art crime. The stolen items, including royal necklaces and earrings adorned with thousands of diamonds, rubies, and emeralds, may be difficult to sell intact. Alternatively, the jewels could be disassembled, with stones recut and gold melted down to obfuscate their origin.
Despite challenges, Beccuau urged those in possession of the stolen treasures to surrender them, noting that the courts would consider the lack of financial loss due to the burglary. The Louvre’s security cameras failed to promptly detect the breach, prompting the transfer of some valuable jewels to the Bank of France under discreet police escort for safekeeping.
While four individuals executed the robbery, Beccuau did not discount the involvement of a broader network, potentially including orchestrators behind the theft. Prior to the recent arrests, two men detained over the weekend had partially admitted their roles in the heist. One of them, a 34-year-old Algerian national residing in France since 2010, was apprehended attempting to depart for Algeria. The other, a 39-year-old individual previously under judicial supervision for aggravated theft, hailed from Aubervilliers, a disadvantaged neighborhood in northern Paris.
