Paris
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Two suspects arrested in connection with the theft of French treasures from the Louvre have admitted their involvement in the heist and have been taken into custody, the Paris public prosecutor’s office announced Wednesday.
Paris prosecutors also said the stolen jewelry was not their property.
Paris prosecutor Laure Becuaux told a news conference that the two suspects had been presented before a preliminary judge and could face a formal investigation later on Wednesday.
The robber, who robbed the Louvre’s Apollo Museum over seven minutes in broad daylight, attracted global attention after fleeing with tens of millions worth of jewelry.
The two were arrested on Saturday evening, detained and interrogated for 96 hours.
The first suspect is a 34-year-old Algerian national. He has a history of traffic-related offenses and was identified through DNA recovered from one of the scooters.
The second suspect, 39, is an illegal taxi driver and delivery driver who was born in the Paris suburb of Aubervilliers. He was previously known to police for felony theft. His DNA was found on broken glass in one of the display cases.
“It didn’t come from the hair or the high-vis jacket,” Becko said.
“They are now appearing before a trial judge for formal investigation for the crime of robbery as part of an organized gang, an offense punishable by 15 years in prison and heavy fines,” she added.
More than 100 investigators were involved in the search, and authorities were able to trace the individuals after analyzing more than 150 DNA samples and testing several items left behind by the group, including gloves, a helmet, and a high-visibility jacket. Two more suspects are still at large.
One of them was arrested as he tried to leave the country at Charles de Gaulle airport. He was stopped during a passport check before boarding an evening flight to Algeria.
The stolen jewelry, including an emerald necklace set with more than 1,000 diamonds that Napoleon gave to his second wife, was not recovered during the arrest.
“We hope that they will be found and returned to the Louvre and the people,” Bequo added, warning that any attempt to purchase the jewels could expose the purchaser to a crime.
On October 19, thieves attacked the Apollo Museum, located on the upper floor of the Louvre, which houses the jewels of the French royal family. They used a ladder attached to a truck to access the gallery, one of the museum’s most ornate 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.
The jewelry taken from the museum is estimated to be worth 88 million euros ($102 million).
This story has been updated with additional developments.
