As clarified by prosecutor Lauri Becco, the detention operations took place on Wednesday night and covered not only Paris itself but also its surroundings, including Saint-Denis.
Among the arrested is an alleged member of the group that was captured by the museum's surveillance cameras. Two other suspects had previously been detained, and they partially confessed to their guilt. During searches of the new detainees, mobile phones and other items were seized that may help in decrypting encrypted messages.
It is also noted that the DNA of one of the arrested may match samples found at the crime scene. "We have been monitoring the main suspect," Lauri Becco reported.
At this time, the investigation does not consider the version that the theft could have been organized from inside the museum, as Louvre employees are not involved in the crime.
After the incident, the museum strengthened its security and transferred part of its jewelry collection for safekeeping to the Bank of France, where it is now stored in a secure underground vault.
Recall that earlier a group of armed masked criminals entered the Louvre through an area under renovation, using a stolen freight elevator. They went straight to the Apollo Gallery, where the jewelry is displayed.
The robbers managed to steal nine items from the collection of Napoleon and the Empress, including a necklace, a diadem, and a brooch.
They took only seven minutes to commit the crime: after the robbery, they escaped on scooters and then switched to cars and drove east. The jewels have not been found to this day.
