Suspects arrested over the theft of crown jewels from Paris’ Louvre museum

PARIS (AP) — Suspects have been arrested in connection with the theft of crown jewel s from Paris’ Louvre museum, the Paris prosecutor said on Sunday, a week after the heist that stunned the world.

The prosecutor said that investigators made the arrests on Saturday evening, adding that one of the men taken into custody was preparing to leave the country from Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport.

French media BFM TV and Le Parisien newspaper earlier reported that two suspects had been arrested and taken into custody.

Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau did not confirm the number of arrests and did not say whether any jewels had been recovered.

Thieves took less than eight minutes last Sunday morning to steal jewels valued at 88 million euros ($102 million) from the world’s most-visited museum.

French officials described how the intruders used a basket lift to scale the Louvre’s façade, forced open a window, smashed display cases, and fled. The museum’s director called the incident a “terrible failure.”

Beccuau said investigators from a special police unit in charge of armed robberies, serious burglaries, and art thefts made the arrests.

In her statement, she rued the premature leak of information, saying it could hinder the work of over 100 investigators “mobilized to recover the stolen jewels and apprehend all of the perpetrators.” Beccuau said further details will be unveiled after the suspects’ custody period ends.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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