French investigators have arrested five more suspects in the brazen jewel heist at the Louver Museum in Paris. Authorities claimed one of the newly arrested suspects could be a key figure, after DNA evidence reportedly linked him to the crime scene.
The five were arrested Wednesday in the Seine-Saint-Denis region in the suburbs of Paris. However, their identities have not been released.
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Previous arrests
The arrests come just days after two other suspects were arrested on Saturday. Those two appeared in court on Wednesday and were placed under formal investigation for organized theft and criminal conspiracy.
Prosecutors say both have admitted taking part in the robbery and were previously known to police for other burglary cases. Investigators are also looking into whether the thieves had help from inside the museum.
However, authorities say the stolen crown jewels, worth more than $100 million, still haven’t been found.
The heist
Officials say it took the crew less than eight minutes to break through a window, use power tools to cut into display cases and disappear with the jewels. The thieves got away with eight jewels, including a sapphire diadem, an emerald necklace and a corsage brooch belonging to Empress Eugenie, the wife of Napoleon III.
The theft was one of the boldest art thefts in Paris in decades. It resulted in the Louvre closing its doors for a few days prior to reopening on Oct. 22.
