French Police Arrest Five More Suspects in $102 Million Louvre Jewel Heist

French police have made five new arrests linked to the $102 million Louvre jewel heist, in which jewels worth $102 million were stolen from the museum's Apollo gallery, home to the French Crown Jewels. The new arrests bring the total number of suspects detained to eight, including two men who had "partially admitted" their involvement in the heist under interrogation. The investigation into the heist, which exposed security lapses at the world's most-visited museum, is widening, with the Paris prosecutor not ruling out the possibility of a larger group involved. The stolen jewels remain missing, and security measures have been tightened around France's cultural institutions.

Key Takeaways:

• The $102 million Louvre jewel heist occurred on October 19, with four thieves breaking into the museum in broad daylight, arriving at 09:30 and escaping at 09:38.
• The thieves used a stolen vehicle-mounted mechanical lift to gain access to the Galerie d'Apollon and a disc cutter to crack open display cases housing the jewellery.
• The suspects were inside the museum for four minutes and made their escape on two scooters waiting outside, before switching to cars and heading east.
• Nobody had been threatened during the raid, and the investigation is widening, with the possibility of a larger group involved.
• The stolen jewels, worth $102 million, remain missing.
• Two men have been detained and have "partially admitted" their involvement in the heist under interrogation.
• The new arrests bring the total number of suspects detained to eight.
• Security measures have been tightened around France's cultural institutions, and some of the Louvre's most precious jewels have been transferred to the Bank of France for storage in a secure vault.

Statistics:

• $102 million: the value of the jewels stolen from the Louvre gallery.
• 19 October: the date of the Louvre jewel heist.
• 09:30: the time when the thieves arrived at the museum.
• 09:38: the time when the thieves escaped from the museum.
• 4 minutes: the duration of the thieves' presence inside the museum.
• 2 scooters: the vehicles used by the thieves to escape.
• 1 car: the vehicle used by the thieves to switch from scooters.
• 8: the total number of suspects detained in connection with the heist.
• 2: the number of men who have "partially admitted" their involvement in the heist under interrogation.

Sources:

• French radio station RTL.
• French TV station BFM.
• Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau.
• IE Online Media Services Pvt. Ltd.
• Contify.com.