Four More Suspects Detained In Expansive $102 Million Louvre Jewel Heist

A Paris prosecutor announced late Tuesday that authorities have taken four additional suspects into custody as part of the investigation into October’s audacious $102 million jewelry theft at the Louvre Museum.

Prosecutor Laure Beccuau said the detainees, two men and two women, all from the Paris area and aged 31 to 40, were brought in for questioning as the probe widens.

Her office did not specify what roles the four are believed to have played in the Oct. 19 robbery.

Police are permitted to hold the suspects for up to 96 hours.

French outlets reported that a 39-year-old man, already known to law enforcement, is thought to be the fourth member of the core team behind the daylight break-in. He is said to be from Aubervilliers, the same suburb linked to other suspects.

The three other individuals previously identified as part of the “commando” crew were earlier arrested and now face preliminary charges including theft by an organized gang and criminal conspiracy.

Investigators say their DNA was recovered at the scene or on items tied to the theft.

A woman arrested in October is being investigated for complicity in the crime.

The stolen treasure has not been found.

Among the missing items are a diamond-and-emerald necklace gifted by Napoleon to Empress Marie-Louise, jewels associated with Queens Marie-Amélie and Hortense, and Empress Eugénie’s pearl-and-diamond tiara.

The heist has renewed concerns about museum security at the Louvre, the most visited cultural institution in the world.

Authorities say the thieves took under eight minutes to enter and exit the building, using a freight elevator to reach a window.

Surveillance footage shows two of them breaking into the Apollo Gallery, slicing through display cases with disc cutters and grabbing the jewels, before two accomplices on scooters sped them away.

One major piece, Empress Eugénie’s emerald-set imperial crown, boasting more than 1,300 diamonds, was later discovered outside the museum.