Paris
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Four more people have been detained on suspicion of involvement in the heist of French treasures from the Louvre, Paris prosecutors told CNN on Tuesday.
Two men, aged 38 and 39, and two women, aged 31 and 40, from the Paris region were detained by police as part of the robbery investigation, according to a statement from Paris prosecutor Laure Becuau.
The new suspect joins four others who were taken into custody in late October and are being questioned by investigators, prosecutors said, but they have not yet released details about possible charges.
CNN affiliate BFMTV reported that one of the suspects is believed to be the fourth member of the gang that carried out the robbery. Three of the suspects arrested in October are charged with organized robbery, and the fourth, a woman, is charged with conspiracy to commit organized robbery.
On October 19, thieves attacked the Apollo Museum, located on the upper floor of the Louvre, the world’s most visited museum. They used a ladder mounted on a truck to enter the gallery, one of the museum’s most luxurious rooms, through a window.
They broke into two heavily guarded display cases and made off with nine items, including a diamond and sapphire jewelry set worn by Queen Marie-Amélie and Queen Hortense.
In just seven minutes, the thieves made off with an estimated $100 million or more in loot. However, the escape was not without incident. Empress Eugénie’s crown, set with 1,354 diamonds and 56 dark green emeralds, is said to have slipped from the hands of a thief while on the run.
A suspect has been identified and the investigation continues, but the jewelry has not yet been recovered.
Questions remain about their whereabouts and condition. Some experts fear the jewels may have been melted down and sold to avoid tracking. Some believe that is unlikely, citing the suspect’s swift arrest.
