Four new arrests made following Louvre jewellery heist

In a significant development in the investigation of last month’s high-profile theft at the Louvre Museum, Paris prosecutors have announced the arrest of four additional individuals. The suspects, comprising two men aged 38 and 39, and two women aged 31 and 40, were apprehended on Tuesday. All are residents of the Paris region. French media reports suggest that one of the detainees is believed to be the final member of a four-person gang allegedly responsible for the audacious daylight robbery. This brings the total number of arrested suspects to eight, with three men and one woman already charged in connection with the heist. The stolen jewels, valued at €88 million (£76 million; $102 million), remain missing since the theft on October 19. The investigation has revealed that the thieves used a stolen vehicle-mounted mechanical lift to access the Galerie d’Apollon via a balcony near the River Seine. They employed a disc cutter to break into display cases, making off with eight items of jewelry, including a crown that was dropped during their escape. The Louvre’s security measures have come under scrutiny, with the museum’s president acknowledging shortcomings but denying negligence. Enhanced security protocols have since been implemented across France’s cultural institutions, and the Louvre has relocated some of its most valuable artifacts to the Bank of France for safekeeping.