Paris authorities are continuing a manhunt after a $102 million jewel heist at the Louvre Museum, amid concerns that “hasty disclosure” of two arrests over the weekend could harm the investigation, Paris Prosecutor Laure Beccuau said.
Two men in their 30s, from the Paris suburb of Seine-Saint-Denis, were arrested while attempting to travel to Algeria and Mali; both have past burglary records and dual citizenship.
Investigators matched DNA from a helmet left at the scene to one suspect and believe both played active roles in the Oct. 19 theft, in which thieves used a stolen truck with a cherry picker to access the Apollo Gallery and cut into display cases.
Stolen items included crowns, tiaras, and other diamond- and gem-encrusted pieces, some associated with Napoleon and French royalty; one crown was recovered damaged on the street, ABC News has reported.
Louvre officials cited weaknesses in perimeter security and blind spots in cameras, while investigators are exploring whether an insider may have assisted the thieves.
