Two men arrested over heliing at France’s Louvre Museum this month will be charged with theft and conspiracy, a Paris prosecutor said Wednesday.
Most of the investigators were on the trail of four thieves who used a cherry pick truck and cutting gear to break into the first gallery at the world-famous Museum, and then got away with jewelry estimated to be worth more than $102 million.
The suspects had to be brought before the magistrates had the opinion to “charge them with organized theft, which the prosecutor Laure beccuau, added that the men were brought into the charges”.
The jewels stolen in the morning of October 19 “will be found”, said BecCuau.
Uthinge: “I want to secure the hope that they will be returned.
The two men, arrested in the Paris region, are accused of entering the Louvre’s Apollo Gallery to take the jewels, while the other remained outside, according to the prosecutor.
Another is 34 years old, Algerian nationality, living in France. He was identified as a result of DNA traces found on one of the scooters used to escape after the heist.
The second suspect is 39 years old and was born and lived in a suburb of Paris. He was an incredible taxi driver.
Both are known to the police to commit theft.
One suspect was arrested as he was about to board an Algerian flight at the capital’s Charles de Gaulle airport, without a return ticket.
The second was caught shortly after that around noon, and “There is no evidence to suggest he was planning to travel to another country”, the prosecutor said.
– Halloween Trend –
Last week, BecCuau told local media that detectives are investigating “150 DNA samples, fingerprints and other traces”.
He said that public and private security cameras had allowed detectives to track the thieves – who were wearing balaclavas and high vests during the extensive heart cleaning – in Paris and Paris and the surrounding regions”.
BecCuau said on Wednesday that while investigators were convinced of the involvement of the four perpetrators, they had not ruled out the possibility of “a wider level involving the background or people who may have been intended for the recipients”.
The thieves dropped the diamond- and emerald-studded crown that had once worn Eugenie, wife of Napoleon III, when they escaped.
Discovered by investigators, it would be “weakness” to restore, BecCuau said at a press conference, citing the director of the Louvre.
Burglars are made of eight pieces of jewelry.
Among them is the emerald-and-dayoon necklace that I gave to his wife, emphasizing Marie-Louise, and the crown that belonged to the former Empress Eugenie, with nearly 2,000 diamond dots.
Brazen thefts have taken place on the ground around the world and inspired a new trend of Halloween costumes involving black Balaclavas, Tiaras and bright yellow vests.
It also raised a debate in France about the safety of cultural institutions.
Less than 24 hours after a high-profile break-in, a museum in eastern France reported the theft of gold and silver coins after receiving a display case.
The director of the Louvre, Laurence des Cars, last week admitted that the security cameras did not adequately cover the thieves.
But he defended a multimillion-dollar plan to increase security at the museum.
PGR-CCO-AH / SW / RH
