French police have made arrests in connection with the Louvre Museum burglary, with one of the suspects apprehended as he was trying to leave the country, Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau said on Sunday.
This is the first major development in the investigation into the high-profile heist that saw French crown jewels worth €88 million stolen and sent shockwaves around the world.
“I can confirm that investigators from the BRB (Brigade de Répression du Banditisme) made arrests Saturday evening,” Beccuau said in a statement Sunday morning.
“One of the men arrested was preparing to leave the country from Roissy airport,” she added, referring to Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport, located in Roissy-en-France. “It is too early to provide any further details,” Beccuau said.
French media, including Paris Match and Le Parisien, reported that there were two suspects arrested, both about 30 years old, with one taken into custody as he tried to board a flight to Algeria from Charles de Gaulle airport.
According to the media reports, the suspects are believed to have been part of the gang of four theives who broke into the Louvre last Sunday and stole jewelry from the Galerie d’Apollon. The brazen daylight burglary has led to mounting public pressure to find the culprits.
Beccuau in her statement said that “more than a hundred investigators have been mobilized to gather evidence and go after the burglars.” She suggested that media coverage of the probe may hinder the investigation.
”I deeply regret the hasty disclosure of this information by uninformed individuals, without regard for the investigation,” Beccuau said.
Meanwhile, a part of the jewelry collection that was not stolen has been transferred to a secured vault at the French National Bank.
Victor Goury-Laffont contributed reporting.
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