Paris prosecutors on Tuesday detained four more people as part of their sprawling investigation into last month’s jewelry heist at the Louvre Museum, as the fate of the stolen treasures remains a mystery and pressure mounts on investigators to provide answers.
Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau said that two men, 38 and 39, and two women, 31 and 40, were detained for questioning about the robbery. None of the four — who are all from Paris — have been charged, Beccuau noted.
The statement did not provide any update on whether the stolen jewels have been recovered. In response to a question by email, a spokesperson for the prosecutor said investigators could not provide any information while those being questioned were in custody.
The investigation has gripped France since the Oct. 19 heist, with questions swirling about how security lapses at the museum allowed the thieves to use a forklift to smash a window and enter the Apollo Gallery during daylight hours — stealing the goods in just seven minutes — and where the jewels are now.
Police said earlier this month that they charged four people over the robbery. Three men, ages 35, 36, 39, were charged with organized robbery, while a woman, 37, was charged with accessory to organized robbery.
The Louvre estimated the total value of the stolen jewels — some of which were owned by Empress Marie Louise, the second wife of Napoleon Bonaparte, and French royals — to be $102 million. Experts say the pieces were most likely dismantled or transformed as quickly as possible to avoid detection.
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