Four more arrested in investigation into $102 million Louvre jewellery heist

French authorities have made four additional arrests in the investigation into the audacious jewellery heist at the Louvre Museum, where thieves escaped with treasures worth an estimated $102 million.

Paris Prosecutor Laure Beccuau said on Tuesday that two men and two women, aged between 31 and 40 and residing in the Paris region, were taken into custody. Their specific roles in the 19 October robbery have not been disclosed. Under French law, they may be held for up to 96 hours for questioning.

French media reported that one of the detainees, a 39-year-old already known to police, is believed to be the fourth member of the team suspected of executing the daylight raid. He is reportedly linked to Aubervilliers, a northern suburb of Paris where other suspects also have connections.

Three alleged members of the “commando-style” group had been arrested earlier and face preliminary charges of organised theft and criminal conspiracy, with investigators saying their DNA was found either at the scene or on items tied to the break-in. A woman arrested in October is accused of aiding the operation.

None of the stolen items have yet been recovered. The haul included historically significant jewels such as a diamond-and-emerald necklace gifted by Napoleon to Empress Marie-Louise, pieces belonging to Queens Marie-Amélie and Hortense, and Empress Eugénie's pearl-and-diamond tiara.

The theft has raised serious concerns over security protocols at the Louvre, the world’s most visited museum. According to investigators, the gang took less than eight minutes to break into the museum, access the Apollo Gallery using a freight lift, slice open display cases with disc cutters and flee. CCTV footage captured two intruders inside the gallery while two accomplices waited outside on scooters.

One significant item, Empress Eugénie’s emerald-set imperial crown containing more than 1,300 diamonds, was later found abandoned outside the museum.

With PTI Inputs