It took the French police almost a week to make their first arrests in connection with the investigation into the theft of the jewels of the French sovereigns from the Apollo Gallery.
Authorities have arrested two people connected to the robbing of the precious Louvre crown jewels in Paris, one of whom was preparing to board a flight, say French media outlets.
The two men are believed to be from the Parisian suburb of Seine-Saint-Denis and known for previous robberies. They will now be interrogated by police during 96 hours.
Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau said investigators from the anti-gang brigade made the arrests. She rued in her statement the premature leak of information, saying it could hinder the work of over 100 investigators “mobilised to recover the stolen jewels and apprehend all of the perpetrators.”
Last week, several thieves broke into the world-famous museum in broad daylight. They used a basket lift to access a balcony leading to the Apollo Gallery, forced open a window and broke display cases to steal the jewels valued at an estimated €88 million.
Around 8 pieces of historic jewellery were removed, all associated with French 19th-century royalty.
They then escaped on motorbikes. The robbery lasted between six and seven minutes.
The heist sparked public outrage and has been criticised as a "national humiliation" by several French lawmakers. It also raised questions over museum security, for which officials at the Louvre had previously warned that there was a lack of investment.
A preliminary investigation has revealed that a third of the rooms in the area of the museum raided had no security cameras, according to French media.
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