Police Uncover More Leads: Five New Arrests in Louvre Jewelry Heist

Fri Oct 31 2025 10:15:22 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

Five additional suspects have been apprehended in connection with the high-profile robbery of crown jewels from the Louvre Museum in Paris, bringing new developments to the investigation.

French authorities have made five new arrests related to the Louvre jewelry heist that occurred earlier this month. The arrests took place during coordinated raids in the Paris region, with one suspect identified as part of the original four-man robbery team. Investigators are examining evidence, including encrypted messages on seized devices. The initial two suspects arrested were caught trying to escape via a flight, highlighting the case's complexity. A total of €88 million worth of jewels remain missing.

Five more suspects have been arrested over their involvement in the Louvre heist, Paris' public prosecutor has said.

They were detained on Wednesday night in the Paris region during coordinated raids, according to Laure Beccuau.

One of the suspects is thought to be part of the four-man team that carried out the heist, who were seen on CCTV.

Two of the other alleged thieves have already been arrested and have partially recognised their involvement in the brazen theft, while the fourth person has not yet been caught.

It is not clear what role the other newly arrested people allegedly played in the theft, but Beccuau told French radio station RTL on Thursday that they may eventually inform us about how the incident took place.

Beccuau said the arrests had been made in areas in and around Paris, including the suburb of Seine-Saint-Denis.

Phones and other objects found on the suspects during the raid were allowing investigators to study encrypted messages, she added.

Those arrested can be detained for up to four days before being charged or released.

French investigators are not giving many more details away at this stage but Beccuau said that DNA from one of those arrested on Wednesday night could be linked to the crime scene.

We had him in our sights, she said of the main suspect.

She specified that the latest arrests were not related to statements made by the previously detained suspects but to other elements of the case.

The authorities have previously said that the gang involved in the heist could be bigger than those who physically stole the jewels.

Items worth €88m (£76m; $102m) were taken from the Louvre - the world's most-visited museum - on 19 October, when four thieves broke into the building in broad daylight. The precious jewels have not been recovered yet.

On the day of the heist, the robbers arrived at 09:30, just after the museum opened to visitors. They used a stolen vehicle-mounted mechanical lift to gain access to the Gallery of Apollo via a balcony close to the River Seine. The men used a disc cutter to crack open display cases housing the jewellery.

Following the incident, security measures have been tightened around France's cultural institutions, and the Louvre has since moved some of its most valuable items to a secure vault at the Bank of France.