Nairobi, October 30- Five additional suspects have been arrested in connection with the recent Louvre Museum heist, Paris prosecutors confirmed. The arrests, made on Wednesday night in the Paris region, include a key suspect linked to the audacious theft of jewels worth €88 million from the world-famous museum on 19 October.
Authorities say the new detentions follow confessions from two men who partially admitted involvement in the daylight robbery, in which four masked thieves broke into the museum’s Apollon Gallery using a stolen lift and power tools to smash display cases.
Prosecutor Laure Beccuau told French media that DNA evidence from one of the suspects may tie him to the crime scene. The five can be held for up to four days before formal charges or release. Investigators suspect the gang could involve more members than the four seen on CCTV footage.
The first two suspects arrested last week both men in their thirties with criminal records are believed to have operated the power tools during the raid. One was detained while attempting to flee to Algeria, while the other remained in France.
Beccuau dismissed speculation of an inside job, confirming that no Louvre staff were involved. The robbers struck shortly after the museum opened, entered through a balcony using the lift, and completed the theft within four minutes before escaping on scooters and later switching to cars.
In response, French authorities have heightened security at cultural sites nationwide. The Louvre has also transferred its most valuable jewels to the Bank of France, where they are now secured in underground vaults 26 meters below the surface.
