Paris
—
Two suspects arrested in connection with the theft of France’s crown jewels from the Louvre museum have admitted involvement in the heist and have been remanded in custody, the Paris prosecutor’s office said on Wednesday.
The Paris prosecutor also said the stolen jewels are not in the authorities’ possession.
The two suspects will be presented before an investigative judge and could be placed under formal investigation later on Wednesday, Paris Prosecutor Laure Beccuau said in a news conference.
The heist – a brazen, seven-minute daylight raid on the Louvre’s Apollo Gallery – captured the world’s attention after thieves escaped with jewels worth tens of millions.
The two men were arrested Saturday evening and held in custody, where they were questioned for 96 hours. Two additional suspects remain at large.
The first suspect, 34, is of Algerian nationality. He had prior records for traffic-related offenses and was identified through DNA recovered from one of the scooters.
The second suspect, 39, an illegal taxi driver and delivery driver born in Aubervilliers, a suburb of Paris. He was previously known to police for aggravated theft. His DNA was found on glass that had been broken from one of the display cases.
“There is nothing to suggest that the four perpetrators benefited from any form of inside help within the museum,” Beccuau said.
“They are currently before an investigating judge with a view to placing them under formal investigation for the crimes of robberies as part of an organized gang – crimes carrying a fifteen year prison sentence and a heavy fine,” she added.
More than 100 investigators have been involved in the manhunt, and authorities were able to track down the individuals after analyzing more than 150 DNA samples and examining several items the group left behind, such as gloves, a helmet and high-vis jackets left at the scene.
One of the men was arrested at Charles de Gaulle Airport as he attempted to leave the country. He was stopped during a passport check before he could board an evening flight to Algeria.
The stolen jewels – among them an emerald necklace set with more than 1,000 diamonds gifted by Napoleon to his second wife – were not recovered during the arrests.
On October 19, thieves raided the Apollo Gallery on the Louvre’s upper floor, which houses the French Crown Jewels. They used a truck-mounted ladder to gain access to the gallery, one of the most ornate rooms in the museum, through a window. They broke into two high-security display cases and made off with nine items, including a diamond and sapphire jewelry set worn by Queen Marie-Amélie and Queen Hortense.
The jewelry taken from the museum is estimated to be worth 88 million euros ($102 million).
“I’d like to keep the hope that they will be found and could be returned to the Louvre museum and the nation,” Beccuau added. “These jewels are now unsellable. Anyone who buys them would be guilty of the offence of handling stolen goods. There is still time to return them.”
CNN’s Niamh Kennedy contributed to this report. This story has been updated with additional developments.
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