French authorities have apprehended five additional suspects in connection with the audacious 2023 Louvre Museum crown jewellery heist, which saw priceless royal artefacts stolen from one of the world’s most secure cultural institutions.
According to police sources cited by Le Monde, the arrests were made in coordinated raids across Paris and Lyon earlier this week. The suspects, all men aged between 28 and 45, are believed to have assisted in concealing or attempting to sell parts of the stolen collection, which included 18th-century diamond-encrusted crowns and ceremonial ornaments.
The original heist, which took place in May 2023, shocked the global art world. Thieves reportedly bypassed multiple layers of museum security before making off with items valued at several million euros. Although some jewels were recovered in Belgium last year, key pieces remain missing.
A spokesperson for the French police confirmed that “the investigation is progressing steadily” and that forensic evidence recovered from digital devices seized in the recent raids is expected to shed new light on the network behind the theft.
“These arrests mark a significant step forward in our efforts to dismantle the organised criminal structure responsible for this theft,” the police spokesperson said.
The Louvre Museum has declined to comment pending the outcome of the investigation but reiterated its “commitment to the recovery and preservation of France’s national heritage.”
