French authorities on Sunday arrested two suspects in connection with the $100 million jewel theft from the Louvre Museum in Paris, a crime that’s being dubbed the “heist of the century.”
As per the reports, the arrests came a week after the daring daylight robbery.
The stolen treasures included a sapphire diadem, a necklace, and one earring from sets once belonging to 19th-century queens Marie-Amélie and Hortense, items considered priceless pieces of royal heritage.
Police Track Down Key Members Of The Gang
The arrested men, both in their early thirties and residents of Seine-Saint-Denis, are suspected members of a four-person gang that executed the meticulously planned robbery.
Police apprehended one suspect at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport on Saturday night as he attempted to board a flight to Algeria. The second suspect was detained later the same evening. Both are now being questioned by French investigators about their roles in the theft.
Evidence Points To A Possible Inside Job
Detectives investigating the Louvre heist believe the operation may have involved inside assistance. According to Le Parisien, investigators have found digital communications suggesting a security guard might have collaborated with the thieves, possibly by sharing confidential information about the museum’s alarm and surveillance systems.
The guard allegedly provided key details that allowed the thieves to bypass security and carry out the robbery with remarkable precision. Authorities are now examining his communications and movements in the days leading up to the theft.
The spectacular heist took place on October 19 and lasted just 7 minutes. The gang reportedly used a stolen moving truck fitted with a cherry picker to climb into a first-floor gallery of the museum.
Once inside, they used cutting tools to break display cases and seize the royal jewels.
The group fled the scene on scooters, dropping one diamond-and-emerald-studded crown during the escape but managing to get away with 8 other items, including an emerald-and-diamond necklace gifted by Napoleon Bonaparte to Empress Marie-Louise.
