French authorities have taken four additional suspects into custody as the inquiry into last month’s audacious Louvre jewellery heist advances. The latest arrests—two men in their late thirties and two women in their early forties from the Paris region—may include the final member of the four-man crew believed to have executed the daylight break-in.
Officials say the newly detained suspects can be questioned for up to 96 hours. Despite the widening investigation, the stolen jewels—valued at €88 million—remain untraced. These include several historic pieces, among them an emerald-and-diamond necklace presented by Napoleon I to Empress Marie-Louise.
Authorities have already charged four individuals, including a man and woman who deny any link to the crime. Another pair of men had previously admitted partial involvement, according to investigators.
The heist itself unfolded with remarkable speed. Using a stolen vehicle-mounted lift, the group gained access to the Galerie d’Apollon through a balcony overlooking the Seine. They forced open display cases with a disc cutter, spending barely four minutes inside before fleeing on scooters and later switching to cars. A single item—a crown—was dropped during their escape, while eight pieces vanished.
Following the theft, questions were raised about museum security after it emerged that the sole camera positioned near the gallery had not been directed towards the entry route used by the thieves. Museum leadership has since acknowledged shortcomings and heightened security measures across France’s cultural sites. Some of the Louvre’s most valuable jewels have been moved to the Bank of France for safekeeping.