Four more arrested in connection with Louvre heist, Paris prosecutor says

Four more people were arrested in connection with the October heist at the Louvre, Paris prosecutors announced Tuesday.

Two men, aged 38 and 39, and two women, aged 31 and 40, were arrested on Tuesday, Laure Beccuau, a prosecutor for the city, said in a statement. All four people are from the Paris region.

The four people are being questioned by investigators in connection with the October 19 heist, Beccuau said.

Tuesday’s arrests are in addition to the four already charged in the case. Three men and one woman were charged with organized theft and criminal conspiracy to commit crimes and offenses, according to the statement.

Last month, the group duped security systems and used power tools in broad daylight to steal millions in jewels from the famed Paris museum. They ultimately made off with royal jewels, once worn by France’s queens and empresses, officials previously told NBC News.

The Ministry of Culture confirmed the jewels stolen included a necklace and a pair of earrings from the Marie-Louise collection; a necklace, earrings and a tiara from from the Queen Marie-Amélie and Queen Hortense collection; and a brooch, bodice bow and a tiara from the collection of Empress Eugénie.

The stolen jewels total an estimated $102 million and have yet to be turned over to Parisian officials.

At least two of the stolen items, including Empress Eugénie’s crown, were apparently dropped on the way out, part of a trail of clues to the group responsible for the theft.

The thieves, who French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez called “experienced,” used power tools, including a disc cutter, to break into the Galerie d’Apollon through a window, the prosecutor’s office said. A crane lift mounted on a truck was situated outside of the window and was brought in to aid in the heist, which took place at 9:30 a.m., as the museum was opening.

The heist took only about seven minutes and prompted the museum to close for the whole day — a rarity, officials said.

Prior to the heist, the Louvre was urged by a French court of auditors to speed up the modernization of its security systems. The process has been delayed, and was expected to be completed by 2032, according to a report.