Police have arrested suspects in connection with the theft of priceless jewels from the Louvre museum, just as one attempted to leave the country, the Paris prosecutor’s office said.
Thieves last week targeted the Louvre’s Apollo Gallery in a brazen daylight raid, fleeing with jewelry worth tens of millions in a matter of minutes.
Scores of investigators have been involved in chasing down those suspected of the heist, which Louvre director Laurence des Cars called a “terrible failure.”
French media first broke news of the arrests, with CNN-affiliate BFMTV reporting that two suspects in their thirties and known to police were detained on Saturday evening local time.
At least two other individuals suspected of being involved in the heist remain at large, according to BFMTV.
Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau said “one of the men arrested was preparing to leave the territory from Roissy airport,” also known as Charles de Gaulle airport, a facility near Paris.
The prosecutor did not confirm the number of arrests or say if any of the jewels were recovered.
France’s Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez congratulated the investigators for the arrests, who he said “have worked tirelessly, as I asked them to, and who have always had my full confidence.”
Thieves raided the Apollo Gallery on the Louvre’s upper floor last weekend, which houses the French Crown Jewels. They used a truck-mounted ladder to gain access to the gallery, one of the most ornate rooms in the museum, through a window.
In the course of a seven-minute heist, they broke into two high-security display cases and stole nine items, according to France’s culture ministry. Among the items taken was a diamond and sapphire jewelry set including a tiara and necklace worn by Queen Marie-Amélie and Queen Hortense.
The jewelry taken from the museum is estimated to be worth 88 million euros ($102 million), Beccuau previously told French radio station RTL. Around 100 investigators have been involved in the manhunt to track down those responsible for the heist, she said.
One week after the heist, the investigation into the incident is accelerating, BFMTV reported Sunday.
Following the daylight robbery, French Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin admitted that the heist exposed security failings at France’s most famous museum.
“One can wonder about the fact that, for example, the windows hadn’t been secured, about the fact that a basket lift was on a public road,” he said on France Inter radio. “What is certain is that we have failed.”
CNN’s Martin Goillandeau contributed to this report.
This story has been updated with additional developments.
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