A number of suspects have been arrested following the jaw-dropping $100 million heist at the Louvre Museum, which has left the art world stunned.
The Paris prosecutor's office said the arrests were made on Saturday evening (October 25), with one of the suspects attempting to leave the country via Roissy Airport.
While reports from local news outlet Le Parisien claimed two suspects had been arrested, Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau did not confirm the number of arrests.
Thieves pulled off a meticulously planned robbery in the French capital in under 7 minutes last Sunday (October 19).
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They targeted the famed Galerie d’Apollon, which is home to the French Crown Jewels, nabbing nine historic items, including a necklace, a brooch, and a tiara from the Napoleon and French Sovereigns display.
According to French officials, the thieves accessed the building from the River Seine side, where construction work is currently underway.
Reports suggest the group of three or four used a construction lift to get inside at around 9.30am, then smashed their way into display cases with chainsaws.
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Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez told reporters: "They broke a window and went towards several display cases where they stole jewellery. These are jewels that have genuine heritage value and are, in fact, priceless."
He added that the group had been 'well-prepared' for the job, cutting panes 'with a disc cutter' and escaping on motorbikes.
French Culture Minister Rachida Dati confirmed that one of the stolen pieces - believed to be a crown once owned by Empress Eugénie - was found nearby, damaged after being dropped during the escape.
Among the missing treasures are a sapphire diadem, necklace and earring from a set tied to 19th-century royals Marie-Amélie and Hortense; an emerald necklace and earrings linked to Napoleon’s second wife, Empress Marie-Louise; and several other rare brooches and diadems.
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The Louvre’s director, Laurence des Cars, has since admitted to a 'terrible failure' in security, revealing to the French Senate that there was a shortage of outdoor cameras and other 'weaknesses' that enabled the daylight theft.
She said she offered to resign following the heist, but her resignation was refused.
In the aftermath of the daring daylight heist, French President Emmanuel Macron vowed that the stolen treasures would be recovered and those responsible would face justice.
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He said: “The theft committed at the Louvre is an attack on a heritage that we cherish because it is part of our history. We will recover the works, and the perpetrators will be brought to justice.
“Everything is being done, everywhere, to achieve this, under the leadership of the Paris prosecutor’s office."
LADbible Group has contacted the Paris Police Prefecture and the Paris regional government for comment.
Joe Yates