Four additional individuals suspected of taking part in the robbery of the French crown jewels at the Louvre have been taken into custody, the Paris prosecutor’s office told CNN on Tuesday.
Authorities detained two men, aged 38 and 39, along with two women, aged 31 and 40, all residing in the Paris area, according to a statement released by Paris Prosecutor Laure Beccuau.
Their arrests are part of the widening investigation into the audacious heist.
These new detainees bring the total number of suspects to eight, joining four others apprehended in late October.
They will all face questioning, the prosecutor said, though no further details regarding possible charges have been made public.
CNN affiliate BFMTV reported that one of the newly detained individuals is believed to be the elusive fourth member of the team that executed the robbery.
Of those arrested in October, three have already been charged with organized robbery, while the fourth, a woman, has been charged with complicity in organized robbery.
The dramatic theft unfolded on October 19 inside the Apollo Gallery on the Louvre’s upper floor, one of the museum’s most elaborate and historic rooms.
The thieves reportedly used a truck-mounted ladder to enter the gallery through a window.
Once inside, they smashed two high-security display cases and stole nine precious items, including a diamond and sapphire set once worn by Queen Marie-Amélie and Queen Hortense.
The operation lasted just seven minutes, yet the gang made off with treasures valued at more than $100 million.
Their escape, however, was not flawless; the imperial crown of Empress Eugénie, adorned with 1,354 diamonds and 56 deep green emeralds, is believed to have slipped from their hands as they fled.
Although suspects have been rounded up, investigators are still searching for the stolen jewels.
Their whereabouts and condition remain unknown. Some experts worry that the pieces may have been melted down and resold to avoid detection, while others are less convinced, pointing to the rapid arrest of the alleged perpetrators.
