French authorities have arrested four more people in the investigation into October's theft of imperial jewels from the Louvre museum, the Paris prosecutor said on Tuesday.
"They are two men aged 38 and 39, and two women aged 31 and 40, all from the Paris region," prosecutor Laure Beccuau said.
A four-strong gang raided the Louvre, the world's most visited museum, in broad daylight, taking just seven minutes to steal jewellery worth an estimated €80 million before fleeing on scooters.
The thieves parked a moving truck with a ladder below the museum's Apollo Gallery, housing the French crown jewels, ascended in a bucket, broke a window and used angle grinders to cut into glass display booths containing the treasures.
The four people who have already been charged over the theft are three men and one woman. One of those men, a 37-year-old, was in a relationship with the woman and they have children, Beccuau said earlier this month.
Security shortcomings
As they escaped, the thieves dropped a diamond and emerald-studded crown that once belonged to Empress Eugénie, the wife of Napoleon III. But they made off with eight other items of jewellery – including an emerald and diamond necklace that Napoleon I gave his second wife, Empress Marie-Louise.
Security questions raised after Louvre heist of 'unsaleable' royal jewels
The loss of these priceless jewels, which have not been recovered, highlighted insufficient CCTV coverage at the museum, and the inability of police to quickly reach areas of the vast former royal palace.
Appearing before MPs last Wednesday, the Louvre's director promised more police and security cameras to prevent future thefts.
Laurence des Cars announced the new security measures while also acknowledging criticism over the raid, which has undermined her leadership.
"I acknowledge responsibility for the failure represented by the theft on October 19th," she said. "It is an immense wound that has been inflicted upon us. I feel it deeply."
The Louvre's security challenges were further highlighted last week when two Belgian TikTok pranksters pinned their own portrait next to the Mona Lisa, without being stopped by museum officials.
"We constantly have incidents in the rooms of the Louvre," des Cars explained, while insisting her staff remained "vigilant".
Following a meeting with the head of the Paris police department, she said around 20 "emergency" measures would be introduced, including officers being based inside the Louvre and 100 new security cameras around the museum.
Louvre boss admits 'responsibility' and pledges security boost after jewel heist
Adding to its woes, the Louvre has also announced the temporary closure of one of its galleries due to safety concerns over the ceiling.
The incident underlined the dilapidated state of some of the museum's structures, as well as the challenges of welcoming millions of people every year in a building that mostly dates back to the Renaissance era.
Des Cars last week defended President Emmanuel Macron's extensive renovation plan for the Louvre, estimated to cost €700-800 million, announced in January this year.
(with AFP)
