Authorities arrested two men suspected of participating in a heist at the Louvre museum in Paris, in which a group of four criminals made off with crown jewels worth an estimated €88 million ($157 million), according to French media.
Le Parisien The two, aged around 30 and from the Seine-Saint-Denis area, were arrested on Saturday afternoon (Paris time).
Forensic agents at the scene.Credit: fake images
A Paris prosecutor said one of the men was preparing to leave the country from Charles de Gaulle airport at the time of his arrest.
The daylight robbery, which involved the use of a crane, power tools and getaway scooters, resulted in the loss of some of France’s most valuable and historically significant objects.
They included a brooch that had belonged to Empress Eugenie, wife of Napoleon III, as well as an emerald necklace and earrings once worn by Empress Marie Louise.
The robbery forced the Louvre to close for three days. French President Emmanuel Macron, who personally appoints the museum’s director, called for stricter security measures to be quickly introduced.
Police officers examine a basket crane used by thieves.Credit: AP
the london Telegraph reported Saturday that sources close to the investigation believed the looters had received “sensitive internal information about the museum’s security system” before the crime.
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